Fey Magick
by JennaSunriser
Summary: There are many characters from many tales that have found themselves in the town of Storybrooke. This is the story of one who didn't get a "ever after", for her story, though long, has not yet ended. The story is one of mythos and legend, but also of faery. The legend has been told by many, and is never the same. This is her story, though it is perhaps not what you may expect...
1. Chapter 1

**Fey Magick**

_~A Once Upon A Time FanFic~_

**_Introduction_**_:_

_ There are many characters from many tales that have found themselves in the town of Storybrooke. Many have had their fairy tale "endings" long ago; others are more mythos that actual tale. Nonetheless, it's fair to point out that not all stories end at "ever after". Many do not even have an ever after. No, many continue, changing the characters from what they were in their part of the stories to something completely different. Sometimes, they end up in other stories, adding their perspective, and are ever growing and ever changing. Little roles, large roles, it does not matter much. They are still there, living through life, even after their original tale has long been resolved. _

_ This is the story of one such character, though you may not recognize her. The story is one of mythos and legend, but also of faery. The legend has been told by many, and is never the same. Sometimes she doesn't even appear in the story, barely even a side note. But she is there. And this is her story… though it is perhaps not what you may expect…_

**_Chapter One_**:

Mr. Gold locked up his shop and headed down the empty darken street. It had been a very enlightening and stressful couple of weeks for him. Weeks? Or was it days? All at once it all seemed to crash around him; first with Belle's memory loss and then finding Bae. Finally, after lifetimes of searching, Rumpelstiltskin finally found Bae. What he found, he hadn't expected. It all left him hollow, and a little on edge. For Balefire was here not for him, but for Henry. The boy Gold was certain was the one the Seer had predicted would be his undoing. Did that mean Gold's death, or the last visage of sanity and goodness left within Gold? Gold had to admit he liked the boy; was even related to him for powers sake! But he couldn't decide if it was worth it to kill him. Seemed he would be doomed either way. He had escaped deaths door, with a bit of help and luck, but he was still uncertain whether Henry was dangerous or not.

With everything going on, he wanted to lash out, but his memories with Belle, and what she would have wanted from him seemed to always get in the way. He couldn't even avenge her how he wanted, but be content that Hook was where he deserved for the moment. And Cora... well, her schemes seemed foiled even if Regina's were not. At least Belle knew how he felt, even if she didn't remember who she was, being an empty shell.

As he walked, he happened to glance over across the street at the town's pub. _The Rabbit Hole_; appropriate for how he felt. It looked busier than usual; then he remembered it was the weekend for many who needed to unwind. He envied them. But that was not what his eyes went to when he looked over.

Standing almost completely in the shadows of the corner where the alleyway went, he saw someone he didn't expect to see. Hair white as a dove and eyes as dark as amethysts, she stood there looking as if she would rather be someplace else. It had been so long since he'd seen this woman who had been made the town recluse, but she was still the youthful looking witch he had met such a long time ago. As he watched, she slipped around the corner and out of sight into the alleyway.

After a moment debating with himself, Gold gripped his cane tightly and followed the white haired woman out the back. Gold found her nursing her drink in a shadowed corner alone; her face tilted up at the sky as if absorbing the star light. "Long time no see…" he paused as her gaze shifted to him and gave her a half smile, "Morrigan LaFey."

_..._

_Enchanted Forest_

Wrists bound by strong silver chains, Danuela Morrigan LaFey ran for her life through a forest she knew nothing about. Her once lilac satin gown, now dirt stained, seemed to catch each branch on her path; as did her flowing satin cape. Her pearly white hair swept behind her like a living ribbon. Her vibrant purple eyes flashed about her, looking for some escape.

She could hear the four ruffians crashing through the brush behind her, increasing her panic. Danu felt completely helpless; chained and powerless; trapped in a strange realm. Easy pickings for these brutes.

Going up a needle covered hill, Danu slipped and fell, twisting one of her ankles slightly when she tried to catch herself.

The laughter behind her told her the outlaws had caught up with her. Strong hands grabbed her and spun her around to pin her to her back. "Where do you think you're going love?" the dirty man over her asked, though it was a rhetorical question.

One of the other men hooted. "Is not every day a sweet thing like you falls into our camp." He commented, leering. The others laughed and jeered.

Danu struggled; adrenaline and panic overruling good sense. "Please leave me be!" she implored, her voice rich and on the edge of being deep. When they ignored her and the man above her started bending towards her, instinct dictated her scared scream. "Someone help me!" she cried and turned her head away.

A moment later there came an odd voice. "Well, what do we have here?" It was eerie, as if it was moments away from becoming high pitched. When Danu looked over, she saw an oddly colored man in embroidered clothes made of cloth and leather, with a deep red cloak with gold stitching and clasp. He had odd eyes and shoulder length dull brown hair. With all his peculiarity, he held himself like someone with all the power.

Something Danu readily recognized. "Please… help me and I'll find a way to repay you." She breathed, struggling once more.

The strange man looked her over, taking note of the chains binding her hands. Then he shrugged nonchalantly. "Very well." In a flash he had grabbed the man on top of her and threw him, sending him hard against a large oak, knocking him unconscious.

The other three drew their swords even as one magically appeared in her savior's hand. As Danu scrambled onto her feet, she watched the newcomer dispatch the ruffians with glee. He toyed with them, teleporting before they could get close to him. This was a man with magic… strong, dark, magic.

They broke when the man magic'd one of their number into an insect and squashed it under his boot. With a high laugh, her savior watched them run before turning towards Danu to find her rummaging in the pockets of the fourth ruffian, who was still unconscious. He was puzzled only for a moment until she held up a silver key. In a blink he was by her side and had plucked the key out of her hand. "And what do we have here, Dearie?" he asked, dancing out of her reach. "This must be the key to unlock those pretty enchanted chains of yours."

Danu tried for the key only once, and then studied this creature that had just saved her. His very aura rang warning bells, but there was something about him, something almost kindred, that she saw. At his pointed look, she gave one right back.

"See, in my experience, enchanted chains, such as these, means they not only bind physically…" he pointed and took a step towards her, "but magically as well." His grey-green fingers toyed with the key. "Who are you, my dear?" he asked.

Meeting his gaze squarely, Danu held up her hands. "Release me and I'll tell you." She said obstinately.

The corners of his lips twitched.

Trying to smile reassuringly, Danu sighed. "You just saved me. You have nothing to fear from me."

At that, he laughed as if what she just said was the funniest quip he'd ever heard. When he calmed down, rather abruptly, he came right up to her. "Of course I don't." With that said, he grabbed one of her arms and unlocked that manacle, and then the next.

Danu quickly twisted away, still holding the chains and suddenly they vanished. She turned back to her savior with a cheeky grin. "Thank you… They call me th— Morrigan …Morrigan LaFey." She said and sighed as her muscles relaxed now that she had her magic back. She gave him an elaborate curtsy.

The green/gold man blinked before smiling in delight. He gave her a bow just as elaborate. "And I am… Rumpelstiltskin." He looked up at her as he bent. "Dark One of this realm."

Morrigan raised an eyebrow but reigned herself in. "Pleasure." Discretion may be the best course until Danu got her bearings. She looked cautiously around her at the forest. "I am… new to this realm, Rumple. Unless you have an idea how to settle my debt to you, mind directing me to the nearest town?"

"Hmm." Rumpelstiltskin looked her up and down. "If you are not from here, Dearie… where do you come from? How did you get here?" he asked, ignoring her request.

"Well… I'm from a place called Avalon. As for how I got here… you'll have to ask my mentor, Merlin." Morrigan answered ruefully, taking a moment to dust herself off.

Suddenly he was inches from her-disconcertingly close. "I've got me an idea of what I want from you." He smiled mischievously. "Your magic… it feels… a 'different… maybe it is something you can teach me."

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "Most of it comes from nature magic, Rumple. What need do you have for it?"

Rumpelstiltskin pinched her cheek. "It is just one more step towards my goal." He said cheerfully, his voice changing slightly for an instant. "Come now, dearie, my home isn't far." Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed her arm and began leading her through the forest.

_..._

_Storybrooke_

While Morrigan stood straight, pushing off from the building, the drink in her hand disappeared; and by the chagrin on her face, Gold didn't think it had been on purpose. "Nice to see you too, 'Stiltskin." She greeted back and slowly approached.

Gold braced against his cane as he watched her with wary interest. "I've asked you not to call me that." He replied softly, through clenched teeth.

Morrigan shrugged. "Sorry… though for the record, from now on, I'd prefer if you called me Danu, seeing as I gave you my name the last time we saw each other." She looked him over. "You look well off. Storybrooke has been good for you." She commented with only a touch of irony.

"And what does Storybrooke owe the honor of your re-emergence?" Gold asked.

Again, Morrigan shrugged. "What with the appearance of Hook and Cora and all… Seemed a good time for a change."

Gold met her gaze and didn't break it. "I see." His thoughts travelled back to another girl somewhere in Storybrooke General that he cared about. "Then perhaps it is also time I gave back some of your things." He suggested.

She smiled and raised a brow. "Perhaps. Let me think on it." She took a few steps up to him, now a few feet away. "This is a nice place; though… I didn't expect to be pulled in and made a no body. Even with time between us I thought I deserved more, especially as I tried to warn you…" she smiled with a smugness that was directed more towards herself than to him. "My curse does not lie." She said under her breath. Too low for him to hear.

Shifting, Gold sighed. "That was a very long time ago… Danu."

"Almost a lifetime or two." She agreed, pushing back one of her straight white strands of hair. "But this curse of yours…" Morrigan smirked, "impressive, Rumpelstiltskin. I still don't understand why you gave it to _her_… your little monster… though I guess she was more determined than you were. Perhaps you were willing to put more stock on predictions of a dying seer to escape any price using such a curse would take from you."

"I don't need a lecture on magic, Morrigan. The curse needed pieces that I could not provide." Gold shot back. "And I needed a failsafe. A way to make sure I'd remember so I could look for my son. As you well know."

Danu Morrigan LaFey, _The Morrigan_ of Avalon, nodded with as much sympathy as she could express. "And Regina, your creature, created her own." She sighed. "The boundary around Storybrooke. Though you found a way around that one, I hear." At his silence, Danu took another step and looked up at him. "Magic always comes at a price." She reminded. Danu paused before pecking him lightly on the cheek before going back inside. "And it's not always you who pays it."

Leaving a stoic and disgruntled Gold in her wake.

...

Morrigan was more than willing to wait a few days before going to Gold. Getting her "things" had been on her to do list for some time, but she needed to let Gold think it was his idea, not hers. She needed to be convincing, not eager. But when she saw several happy couples going down the street, going about their days and adventures, Morrigan felt an uneasy twinge of how incomplete she felt. She resolved to go the next day.

That day seemed much longer than normal and the new unpredictability of her magic had already cost her the microwave and her favorite mug. Morrigan didn't want to lose any more china or appliances. She was reduced to doing some meditative techniques her mentor, Merlin, had taught her before she went down the path that led to her banishment from Avalon…

_..._

_Avalon_

The festivities within the castle looked to continue all night long. More casks of wine and beer were brought up and opened. Another set of players replaced the old and a new upbeat tune began, causing a flurry of skirts and ornate coats towards the dance floor. The grand hall was a bouquet of colorful dresses, tunics, jewels and adornments. The air filled with the tantalizing aromas of the feast and the multiple plates of pastries and treats for after. The land of Avalon was rejoicing.

As Merlin's apprentice, Morrigan was seated near the head table. She was dressed for the occasion; in an elaborately fashioned gown of an ice blue that accentuated her unique coloring. Her hair was wreathed in a dark entwining wire with sapphires and black diamonds. She was a very different woman from the one that was sent to Merlin's front porch. Most of her food was uneaten and her gaze continuously went up to watch the reason for such celebration.

King Arthurs and Queen Gwen's wedding.

Her young heart gave a large lurch at seeing the couple. Arthur in the arms of another woman when it should be her. She was the one that loved Arthur like no other, not Gweneviere. Someday she would get what she wanted, she just needed to bide her time. Looking around, Morrigan found that she wasn't the only one sitting solemnly, another was just watching. Another who watched the couple with trepidation and longing.

This would be the perfect time to begin.

Morrigan took her drink and weeded her way through the edge of the crowd over to Arthurs Black Knight. She greeted the ebony colored knight of the Round Table cordially. "Good evening, Sir Lancelot. Would you care to dance?" she asked, gesturing to the dance floor, where both their obsessions danced in ignorance.

Sir Lancelot flashed his pearly whites, but it wasn't a genuine smile. "I'm sorry, Lady LaFey. I'm not in much of a dancing mood."

With an elegant shrug, Morrigan gracefully slid into the seat beside him. "Mooning over lost opportunity… lost… love?" she asked, taking a drink.  
Looking at her sharply, Lancelot's eyes narrowed.

Morrigan laughed. "There are few things that I don't notice. Don't worry, dear Lancelot. I won't tell the King… or Merlin. Sometimes you can't help who you love." She said nonchalantly. A servant brought a plate of wine in elegant chalices and Morrigan took one.

Lancelot sighed, but continued to say nothing.

She let the silence between them stretch for a few moments. "Why don't you ask her to dance? Surely it would not be out of place for King Arthurs best Knight to pay homage to his new Queen in such a way?"

"It would not… I suppose. …You will truly not tell a soul… not that it may be true, but I do not need rumors flying about." Lancelot asked, turning to her. "You do not play me false?"

Morrigan looked mollified. "Of course not, Sir Knight. It's just a dance." She nudged him.

For the first time, Lancelot gave her a genuine smile. "That it is." He said and stood. "If you'll excuse me, my Lady LaFey." He gave her a quick bow before approaching the aforementioned couple just as the set ended.

Watching him bow to the King and ask to dance with Gwenievere, Morrigan smiled to herself. He might just make it too easy. But small steps and patience was needed… and soon Lancelot would do the deed she most hoped for, and she would be with the man she loved and make sure once and for all that a silly old curse did not exist.

_..._

_Storybrooke_

She dug out the box from the back of the drawer and placed it on her bed. A small bronze key appeared in her hand which she used to open the box. Inside was another key, this time silver, elegantly fashioned and very old looking. Taking it, Danu stuffed it in a small pocket in her padded bra, taking a moment to adjust before replacing the box.

That done, she took a deep breath and exited her small house. It lay on the outskirts of town, almost within the confines of the forest. She lived alone in the small one story house which had an extensive herb garden and many handmade items strewn about. It was the home of the town recluse, though was much cleaner since the curse broke.

Morrigan didn't drive, so she had to walk all the way to Gold's store. Unfortunately for her, the day was a dreary one that soon started raining down on her. The streets seemed almost deserted except for a few passing cars and one or two pedestrians running for shelter.

It would be an unproductive day for the hamlet.

When she entered Gold's shop, he wasn't in the room, but she assumed he would be in the back. Danu moved behind the counter and through the bead curtains to his office. As she suspected, she found Rumple at his desk, looking over one of his antique items.

He looked up with only a mildly surprised expression. "I was wondering when you would show up." Gold commented, getting up and grabbing his cane before moving around his desk up to her.

One of Danu's eyebrows rose. "Don't you mean _if_?" she asked.

Gold smirked. "No, I meant when." He replied calmly. Once he stood in front of her, he sized her up while leaning against his cane. "Now, you sure you want it back? Are you sure you are ready?" he asked.

"You're the one who suggested that I come get it." She bantered back, smiling. After a quick moment, Danu sighed. "It's time, I think, for me to truly move on." She gave him a look from under her long eyelashes.

Nodding, Gold shifted. "I just need one assurance from you… a promise if you will."

Danu smirked. "I thought you dealt with contracts, not promises, Rumpelstiltskin."

"I've never needed contracts with you. You've always been good on your word." Gold admitted with a knowing smile.

"Right." Danu sighed. "So what's this promise?"

Gold took a small step to the side. "Hopefully a simple one." He began, moving to one of the shelves. "I want your promise to not try to keep me from helping Belle. And not to harm her. I'm still working on getting her memory back, even if she… well… Let's just say her cursed self is being rather difficult." He added as an afterthought. While he spoke he reached into a shelf, behind some oddities and pulled back with an old box. It was very plain but looked to have seen many years.

After a moment, Danu nodded. "I promise." Her eyes stayed on the box as he approached her with it.

Setting the box on the desk, Gold opened it and took the object out with one hand. Glowing with crystalline, magical light, was the still beating heart of who sometimes was called Morrigan LaFey. He studied her for a moment. "Putting one of these back has never been my forte. And you poured your feelings into it before I took it." He said. "It may all come rushing back quite suddenly… are you ready?" he asked.

Danu met his glance head on. "Ask me that one more time, and I'll have to put it back myself." She warned with no real malice.

Gold grinned. He positioned the heart where it should go, and with his palm, shoved it quite suddenly back into her chest.

The force of it made her take an involuntary step back, but it was done. Her heart was back where it belonged. Unfortunately, so were all the feelings of hurt, regret, desolation and above all, unrequited love. It all hit her as if a horse kicked her in the stomach. Danu almost doubled over with the grief and sadness that overtook her. Her breathing became rapid and a tiny sob escaped her lips.

Her hands reached out as if trying to catch her fall even though she was still standing. Gold took hold of them and helped steady her.

Danu closed her eyes. "Oh, goddess." She whispered under her breath. She hoped she was strong enough, now, to deal with it all, for she doubted Gold would remove her heart a second time. Was it all so intense because she hadn't felt any of this in so long? Or was this the backlash of the misery she had felt such a long time ago? She looked up at Gold with a pained but reminiscent look. "Oh Rumple…" she sighed.

_..._

_Enchanted Forest_

Since getting to the Enchanted Forest, and beginning Rumple's training, he and Danu had been paying weekly visits to the surrounding forest for the well hidden ingredients to their magic's. She still couldn't believe that a creature as powerful as he didn't know alchemy before she had come. Danu, more known as Morrigan now, had been teaching Rumple what Merlin had taught her for close to a year now. He now spun gold and was currently saving up for a large estate with a special room for his work. Before, he thought he didn't need potions or spells to do what he needed, but now Rumple understood that his dark magic's only went so far. And alchemy had many uses, such as enchanting things like quill and parchment, baubles and sand. Rumple made a good student and Morrigan found she was a good teacher.

Morrigan thought he was a queer and funny creature, that was for sure, but she had come to respect him more than she had respected anyone before. She never got bored, that was for sure. He was harder to read than others she was used to, making him unpredictable. But as weeks more went by, that respect became something more which caused her to both hope and become concerned. If she was being honest with herself, she had never felt this way before, even with Arthur—and that obsession had almost drove her to murder. This felt like something else, though she doubted she was that lucky.

She wrestled with herself for some time before she had to tell him. Morrigan thought she'd come to love him, and had to tell him so.

What she didn't expect, was his sympathy, shielded with condescension.

He couldn't love—wouldn't love, until he found a way to get to his son, Bae. He couldn't risk it. His power was on the line, and he still needed it. Until he and Bae were reunited, all else was out of the question.

It was then she realized that Rumpelstiltskin already had a true love; his love for his son. It didn't leave room for anything else. That or he was destined for True Love down the line. Which meant he wasn't hers and would never be hers.

That seemed to convince her of the reality of her curse. One she had thought may have been removed when she came to her power. One she stubbornly refused to acknowledge when she was in Camelot, childishly mooning over the King.

After days of feeling wretched and not feeling any respite, Morrigan begged him to remove her heart. She knew he could—she'd seen him do it, had taught her how to do it. "Please, Rumpelstiltskin." She pleaded, the rare time she used his full name. "I don't want o feel this way anymore. If it keeps going, I will hurt someone. Like I did Arthur, Gwen and Lancelot." She paused, looking up at him with tears threatening to appear in her eyes (also a rarity for her).

While he felt slight remorse for her plight, Rumple didn't have room for too much pity. He did feel responsible for her; she had been his companion, confidant and partner in crime too long not to. "And what would I get out of it? My services are not free, you well know." He responded.

Morrigan thought for a moment, then her eyes widened with a thought. "I have something you want. Or else you would have already refused." She stood and crossed over to him. His nonchalant silence told her she'd spoken true. "Would my magic binding chains be worth enough to you, Rumple?" Morrigan asked, trying to keep hold of herself and not fall back into depression. She needed her wits here. And she knew he'd always had coveted those chains… wanting to know how they worked and what kind of metal and enchantments had went into them.

Rumple glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Perhaps." He ceded.

"Then as long as you don't use them on me, they're yours if you take my heart and keep it safe for me until I come back for it." She proposed, talking quickly.

Considering, he made a few thoughtful noises before turning to her and sticking his hand out to shake. "Deal."

Morrigan smiled, though it didn't; couldn't, reach her amethyst eyes. "You'll get them after my heart is safe." She put in for good measure.

Making a show of a grimace of chagrin, Rumple nodded. "Agreed." She had never made a deal that she couldn't fulfill; it was the thing he found most endearing about her. They shook on it and Rumple jumped to one of the shelves he'd made within his modest house; it was a big step up from his family hovel, but still not big enough as he collected many things. He found a polished wooden box and placed it with exaggerated delicacy beside Morrigan before seating himself directly across from her. "Now, my dear, I want you to focus a-l-l your unwanted feelings into your heart. That will give a better chance of it all going away once it's removed." He instructed, his voice pitching up and down.

Nodding, Morrigan closed her eyes and focused. The strength of her emotions threatened to crush her, but into her heart they went. "Alright… now what?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"Stay still." He advised, unusually serious.

Suddenly his hand was thrust into her chest, causing her to gasp and her eyes to snap open. Then his hand was out and so was her heart. Glowing and enchanted. With it, all unwanted emotion as well. Morrigan felt calmer than she had ever felt. What was the big deal again? Had she really thought she loved this man? She certainly respected him, but love? She blinked and looked to see Rumple watching her. "Thank you." Her words were sincere. The silver linked chains appeared in her hands. "Here. These are yours now. Remember our agreement." She added with a smile.

Rumple smiled, crowed softly and danced away with chains in hand. "Yes, yes. Happy doing business with you, Dearie." There was the smallest puff of smoke, and the chains and manacles disappeared. When he looked over at her again, his smile disappeared. "You're leaving."

Morrigan nodded. "I've nothing more to teach you, and I know this land enough now to traverse it with more ease. It's time for me to go." She declared, standing up.

He made a true grimace. "But… you're so much fun." He told her, taking one then two steps towards her.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Morrigan smiled politely. "You know I have to."

Not replying to that, Rumple sighed dramatically. "You know how to reach me if you ever need me." He said with a light air.

"I do." Morrigan moved to start gathering the few portable things she'd acquired during her stay, including a portable alchemy kit and supplies.

After a moment of silence, Rumple grudgingly went up to her. "What if I need you?"

Morrigan smiled at that. "You won't. And you _don't_ need me. I'm afraid we may not see each other again in a very long time. Though, I warn you now, I fear you will find your true love no matter how hard you try to stay away from people. And you'll need the company. I'm as sure as I feel you'll find your son. I hope you find what you are looking for, truly. But be prepared for anything."

Rumpelstiltskin seemed disconcerted for a moment, and then cheered up. "Well, at least I know I'll always have _your_ heart." He teased and gave her a flourished bow.

Once she finished packing and put on her black satin cloak, Morrigan kissed him once on the cheek. "Just remember, Rumple, magic—any magic—always has a price." Then she left.

_..._

_Storybrooke_

Danu was startled when suddenly there was weight on her wrists. Then the empty feeling of having her magic blocked from her. She knew that feeling well. Danu looked to see those enchanted silver chains of hers on her wrists again. She looked up at Mr. Gold. "What are you doing?"

He had the grace to look somewhat sorry. "We need to talk, and I need some answers." He told her and put a hand on her forehead.

When the spell took effect, darkness descended.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**:

Consciousness came again abruptly, and Danu found herself in what looked like a basement. She was on a cot against the wall, where a closed hook held fast to the links between the cuffs around her wrists. A sound of disbelief and annoyance escaped her throat.

"Yes… sorry about that." Gold's accented voice came a few feet across from her. He stood between her and the stairway. To the side was a small table and chair.

Danu leaned her head back against the wall. "Care to explain the chains and the basement?" she asked, lifting her suspended wrists in emphasis.

Instead of answering, Gold cocked his head slightly to the side and asked his own question. "How are you feeling?"

The reminder caused Danu's heart to clench and she swallowed hard. "Wretched. This isn't helping." She remarked, trying to shift into a more comfortable sitting position. With a long, shaky breath, Danu had to avert her gaze in frustration and embarrassment. She hadn't counted on being so overwhelmed by these feelings when she had gotten them back. "Using an example from this world, it seems as if everything got put on pause when you pulled out my heart, and now it's all playing where I left off."

Gold nodded. "I was afraid of that."

Danu gave him a reprimanding look. "Yet you were the one that suggested it."

"Come now, Morrigan. You wouldn't have come to me if you hadn't felt it was time. But unlike you, I was prepared for it."

"Oh, is that why I'm chained to a wall? You think having my feelings back will make me too dangerous for civilized company?" It was meant to be a rhetorical, snide, remark at her own expense, but seeing Gold's uncomfortable stance after the words were out made Danu think that was exactly why she was here. Danu scoffed. "Dear lord, Gold. I _promised_ not to hurt Belle or interfere." She snarled, though her hurt still sounded within her words.

Shifting, Gold nodded. "Oh I know. But in my long life, I was able to get a hold of your lands stories. Took a while, as your transition into mine seemed to be through a temporal venue as well as dimensional… but the appearance of the Leviathan in King Georges court helped. You knew him as Lancelot."

Danu grimaced hearing his name. She had encouraged the knight in his pursuit of Gwenievere, hoping the Queen would be tempted away from Arthur, giving Morrigan a way in. At the time, she had been very young, powerful and thought she was truly in love—ignoring the evidence that her curse was still strong.

At her silence, Gold smiled and pulled the chair to sit a few feet from her. "I must say, Morrigan, the stories I heard about you were… enlightening." He commented.

"I already know that you know who … what I am. For your information… I was young and obsessed." Danu scoffed. "I didn't think my actions would have consequences. I was wrong, as you well know. And it became something I wasn't prepared for. I was banished along with Lancelot. Both disgraced and disowned." She added with a sour note—even after all this time.

Gold cleared his throat. "Yes, but you did it all to get what you loved." He said pointedly.

Danu closed her eyes a moment. "That was then; it's different now."

"And what exactly is different, love?" Gold asked, watching Danu wince.

With a sigh, those vibrantly purple eyes opened and she looked up through her lashes; a character mannerism that she had no idea she did regularly. "Because I've finally accepted the reality of my curse." She admitted. "And that my powers can't protect me from it or remove it."

Gold's eyebrow shot up. "Curse? You were cursed before being exiled?" he asked.

"Far before that… before I… came into my powers."

"And what is your curse?" he asked, somewhat skeptically.

Danu pursed her lips and considered for a moment. She'd almost forgotten that she hadn't told Rumple-or anyone-about this, as it had been on her mind for the last few centuries. "I can only fall for someone who can't feel the same for me… because they already have a true love." There was more, but the rest would not matter to him as it did not concern him.

It seemed to click for Gold, nonetheless. "I see." He paused to let his quick mind go over the implications. "And it can't be broken with true loves kiss because you won't be able to love them back… nor the object of your obsession… That's quite an ingenious curse." He admitted. He himself found out the hard way that for "true loves kiss" to break a spell, both parties needed to be in love with the other; requited love. Something Danu would never experience. His denial of her all those years back took on new meanings now.

"Glad there's some one here who can appreciate it." Danu commented sourly, and rolled her eyes.

"Would you tell me who put such a curse on you?"

She shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it anymore; it hurt too much, that first betrayal of her life, comingled with the onslaught of a multitude of emotions reasserting themselves in her being. That curse had been the first step to becoming what Avalon thought of her as; a type of monster.

Seeing that she was done talking about that topic, Gold decided to move on to something else before he left. "There's just one thing I would like to ask before I go." Gold got up with a grace belying his limp. He took the chair and replaced it at the table.

Danu tugged on the chains absently, getting impatient to see him go. "Yeah, and what's that?" When she looked back up, Gold was standing with one hand braced on his cane, and in his other hand he held up a familiar object. It was her silver key. She felt her jaw muscles twitch and the hand closest unconsciously reached to check the place she'd hidden it. "I didn't think you were the type of man to take advantage of an unconscious woman."

Gold chuckled. "I used magic to search you, dearie, not my hands." He reassured, though his voice tightened. He cleared his throat and the key twirled through his fingers. "Seems like you were prepared for something… if not how you're feelings would affect you. You knew I'd lock you up. Now why is that, I wonder… Unless you planned on it." Gold made a show of slowly and gently placing the key on the table, far from her reach. At her tense silence, Gold tried not to grin. "I'll be by later with food and more questions. See you then… Danu." He turned and started for the stairs and the exit.

Unable to help herself, Danu stood, nearly getting pulled back down by the short leash of chain. "Gold!" she called, but he didn't turn or acknowledge her. "Gold! …Gold!"

_..._

_Enchanted Forest_

In the enchanted cell that held him, Rumpelstiltskin suddenly stood. My, he was a popular one lately. "Now what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, after such a long time?" he asked the darkness with a gleeful giggle.

From the shadows she appeared, wearing more leather than he remembered her ever wearing. She also had a dirk tucked at her waist, her only weapon. Morrigan looked as if she had lived a very full life of adventure as well as a life of the woods. Though didn't seem a day over twenty five. Most of her white hair was tied back with a wide leather bandana and wore eye makeup that made those purple eyes pop. While he gave her an appraising look, she gave him a smile as she approached the bars. "I think you know, Rumple." Morrigan gripped the bars. "There's a storm coming and I can tell you have a hand in it."

Rumple crossed over and stopped a foot away from the bars. "Why do you say that?" he asked with a pleased glint in his eyes.

Morrigan smirked. "Come now, it has your flare all over it, not to mention it would accomplish you're goals. To find your son." They smiled at each other; even after so long, they still knew each other well.

"So, why have you come here? Oh, let me guess…" Rumple resisted the impulse to close the distance as he knew it wouldn't intimidate this one as it did others. He just leaned in slightly. "You want in on my little fail safe, don't you?"

Shrugging, Morrigan leaned lazily back, using her hold to keep from falling. "I wouldn't go that far… perhaps a key… to help me remember without having to wait for the curse to be broken first."

Rumple grinned. "Well that I may have, but you may still have to wait m-a-n-y years before you remember." He warned.

"It's still better than nothing." She replied, swinging upright again. "And what would you like in return?"

He gave a short giggle. "Well, I already know that you are _The_ Morrigan of Avalon. Apparently a 'great and powerful witch' …with more power than you led me to first believe." Rumple giggled again at the surprised and concerned look he got from Morrigan. "What I don't know… is your _real_ name, dearie." He cut her off before she could retort. "That's not all I want, mind you… but it's a start." He added, pointing.

Morrigan stepped back and eyed him with suspicion. "What else is there you could want? I know you don't want out, you told the Queen as much."

"Smart girl. You were always thorough…" Rumple said quietly. He came up and poked his head through the bars. "All I want besides you're true name, is your assurance that you'll stay out of my way unless I come to you first."

Blinking, Morrigan stepped close again. "That's it?"

Rumple nodded, impatient.

"Deal." Morrigan agreed. "Now what's the key?"

Grinning, Rumple shifted his stance. "This is very important, dearie, so listen carefully." He beckoned her closer. "The savior is the key… when you see her and hear her name, you will remember everything."

Morrigan sighed in aggravation. "A name? Wouldn't a name for a name have been sufficient?" she asked.

"You've already made the deal, my dear. You can't back out of it now." Rumpelstiltskin reminded. He jumped backwards slightly and crossed his arms. "You want her name or not?"

Fiddling with a wooden fae pendant at her neck, she considered. "And there's no magic there? In this world she's taking us?"

Rumple shrugged. "That's what I hear."

"Then tell me the name of this savior." Morrigan said, gripping the bars of his cell.

Suddenly Rumpelstiltskin was up against the bars as well, gripping Morrigan's hands tightly, with surprising strength, to the bars. "It's Emma." He told her, almost reverently.

Morrigan felt tingles do down her body and tried not to flinch. "Emma." She breathed, trying the name out. She smiled as she made eye contact with Rumples gold eyes. Then her intuition bordering on prescience clicked on something and then she looked more closely and saw the evidence before her. Ignoring the grip he still had and the waiting expression of Rumple, Morrigan leaned her body against the bars and closed the distance to a couple inches between them. "You've been in love." She stated, awed. Then she smiled. "Ahh.. _true_ love at that…" she eyed him with amusement. "Let me guess… you threw her out." Morrigan watched Rumple wince and a few muscles twitched. "Let her get too close, didja." Morrigan sighed and shook her head. She didn't need him to say anything; his silence was more than enough. "Poor girl." She felt there was more, but didn't dare say anything. It was none of her concern. "I wish you the best of luck, then… finding Bae. Once that's done, you might actually let someone love you." She said absently, moving back slightly, as her hands were still gripped in his. "So… I see the savior and hear her name, and my memories will be restored?"

The Dark One nodded, if a bit stiffly. "mHmm. Now… _I_ need a name." He gripped her hands painfully, as if making sure she didn't disappear without telling him what he wanted.

With a disgruntled grimace, Morrigan looked him square in the eyes, those odd, large dark gold-green eyes of his. "My name is Danuela... Danu."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned and released her. "Pleasure to meet you, Danu."

His low tone caused her to shiver and Morrigan suspected he got more out of her name than she would have wanted. But his genuine smile was infectious. She moved away and gave him a curtsy. "Pleasures mine. And good luck again, Rumpelstiltskin." And she was gone.

_..._

_Storybrooke_

When she calmed down from her rather surprising burst of temper, Danu surveyed her situation. She looked longingly at the key Gold left on the table; it was almost as if it were mocking her.

Danu straightened the cot against the wall; she'd kicked it more than once and had a sore shin for her trouble. After a moment's thought, she turned the cot so she could lie down while bracing her feet on the wall. She pulled the chains, hopping the pull the metal loop out of the concrete wall.

Unfortunately the only thing she accomplished was to move the cot. But she wasn't done, Danu was adamant about freeing herself. She wasn't about to let Gold decide if she was a menace to society or not. And she didn't really want to answer any of his questions. At least not while chained up.

Using the furniture and quite a bit of upper and lower body agility, Danu managed to hook the table with one of the cot legs. After some awkward positioning, she pulled both towards her until the table was in her reach. Having discarded her shoes and socks to do her maneuvers, she used her toes to grab the key and bring it up to her waiting fingers.

It was about time, the cuffs were chaffing her wrists. While using the cot to grab the table, she had to sit on the floor with her hands above her head; sore and a bit battered was the nicest words for how her body felt. Danu would need a massage or two to work out all the kinks.

Idly she wondered if she would have put in so much effort as her shy and meek Storybrooke persona, and blanched. Regina may not have fully known who Danu was, but that didn't stop her from making her a shut in; tucking her neatly out of the way like an item someone didn't know what else to do with.

Regina's ignorance of her may have to end.

Standing, Danu inserted the key into one of the cuff's lock and sighed with relief as first one, then the other, was unlocked and removed from her wrists.

Danu took a moment to rub and heal the sore bruised areas before bending over the magical chains. With deep concentration and a wave of her hand, Danu turned the metal chains into metal dust. A leather satchel appeared in her hand and the dust was soon scoped into it.

She set the table, cot and chair to rights just as she heard the ominous footsteps above her.

Another bag appeared in her hands as the basement door opened and Gold's familiar gait started down.

"Danu?" Gold's voice asked as he noticed the empty cot and keyless table. He came into the room proper and just as he turned his head, a flash of dust hit his face.

As he stumbled and coughed, his cane dropped and Danu grabbed his arms so he wouldn't collapse. Unfortunately the bag of food from Grannies fell and was forgotten. "Easy does it, Rumple." She said and helped him to the cot. "That won't harm you; just knock you out for a few hours." She told him as he tried to regain his equilibrium. His eyes glazed over though it was apparent he was struggling to remain conscious. Danu knelt in front of him. "I just need a head start, is all." She smiled mischievously. She moved some hair out of his eyes and leaned in. "Pleasant dreams." Danu kissed him full on the lips, thinking it would be the only chance she'd ever have, and let him lie down as he blacked out.

After putting his cane within arm's reach for when he woke, Danu left the quaint little cabin with the hidden basement and went back to her own home at the other end of the forest line.

Wasting no time when she got home, Danu entered her own basement where a small smelting device and metal molds waited for her.

The leather pouch of metal flakes was emptied into the smelter and while the silver metal melted, Danu prepared the molds and refining tools and gemstones. One dark amethyst, one ruby and one black diamond, all no bigger than her thumbnail, but big enough to look impressive. She had not idled during her long life, but had learned as many talents that interested her as she was able. Blacksmithing was one of them.

Once the metal had completely melted, Danu added a few alchemic ingredients before pouring it into each mold. After a few hours of refinement and patience, Danu had made three beautiful and elegant silver rings, each with their own stone. The rest of the metal was made into a small bar for future use. The rings with the black diamond and ruby went into a velvet lined box that had notches in the padded bottom for the two rings to fit into. She locked the box before making it vanish. The third ring, with the amethyst, once given an additional clean and polish, went on her right ring finger.

As she suspected, the enchantment Merlin had put on the metal had survived the transformation and was now embedded in these rings. The additives she added ensured they could only be put on through free will, and still allowed a slight blocker to ones magical abilities.

As another addict long denied her magic—as well as the similarities of using magic here compared to her home realm, Danu needed to make sure her magic didn't overpower her. Nature magic—faery magic—like hers could be volatile.

Danu cleaned up her workspace, turning it back to the more desirable herbal and alchemic workspace, and went upstairs with a better handle on all aspects of her being.

...

After taking a longer than usual shower, Danu, still in just a long robe, settled down by the foot of her bed, facing the simple, low to the floor, altar and began her nightly vesper which both her father and Merlin taught her. With her representations, she softly sang to the Fae's of the elements and the Lord and Lady; thanking them for the day, wishing for good dreams and to wake the next day. It was a ritual older than her, perhaps even older than Merlin.

When she first entered the Enchanted Forest all those years ago, Danu was surprised to find out what their fairies were like. They were nothing like the wildlings in her world. Her Fae-kin were different, both darker and nobler than the dust flinging glow bugs of the Enchanted forest.

Danu found perverse amusement that they were made Nuns in this world.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you do that." Gold's voice disturbed her musings.

Sighing, Danu turned to the door a couple feet away to see Gold standing just inside her room, looking as if he belonged there. "Don't you ever knock?" she asked, tugging her robe tighter around herself.

Gold chuckled. "Oh, I think I'm well beyond knocking, dearie."

Danu looked back at her alter, arranging the items on it more to her liking. He was angry; but so what? She took a deep breath, which gusted back out in a drawn out sigh. "Can we not return to being civil to one another? We each got what we wanted. I'm willing to move on from being chained like an animal." She couldn't help the sharpness that came into her voice.

Her lack of fury; he could tell she wasn't even truly angry, seemed to take him by surprise. He found he wasn't really angry with her either. His body seemed to relax and his stance was less defensive. "I suppose my curiosity has gotten the better of me." He admitted and crossed behind her to sit on the end of the bed.

"Is that why you're here?" She asked, not looking at him.

"I do still have some unanswered queries." Gold confirmed. "Now that we're on the same field… will you still answer them?"

Danu shrugged, the robe shifting slightly at the movement. "I may." She replied noncommittally. Behind her she could hear Gold sigh. "What do you want to know?"

Gold paused as he studied her back. When they lived together Danu had a tiny shelf by her makeshift bed that had served as her alter; the one she had now was much more elaborate, pretty even. He remembered teasing her about having such "outdated" and "nonsense" beliefs. If he recalled correctly, she would just smile and not say a word. "Your curse, Danu… who put it on you?"

With an abrupt movement, Danu snuffed the couple of candles on the alter and waved an arm over it to dissipate the smoke. "My mother." She answered, slowly getting up and moving to sit beside Gold.

What was it with powerful mothers and equally powerful daughters squabbling? Gold mused. "She was a user of magic?"

Danu nodded. "You could say that." She said ruefully with a smirk.

He had the impulse to follow up on that smirk, but decided not to. "And why, my dear, would your own mother put such as curse on you?" he asked instead.

"She was jealous." Danu looked at her fingers in her lap for a moment before looking up at Gold. She knew the answer wouldn't satisfy him. "Mother was very possessive of my father. And I loved my father very much."

Gold nodded, thinking about those he knew who would have done similar. Once, he may have overreacted as well, though he still didn't understand cursing one's own child; having loved his son beyond reason and even sanity. "Was?" a small smile escaped his control. "Does that mean she is no longer concerning you?"

"Now that is putting it nicely." Danu chuckled despite herself. "Yes. She is dead."

There was a moment where they were both lost in their own thoughts. Then finally, Gold asked, "She was _The Morrigan_ before you were, wasn't she?"

Danu nodded, her head tilting to the side, considering the empty space her eyes were gazing into. "I am a child of both Faery and dark magic." She said absently. "No wonder I turned out how I did."

At that, Gold tisked. "Evil isn't born, dearie, it's made." He reminded her, habitually.

Blanching, Danu nudged his shoulder at that. "Believe me; I'm not so black and white. And for that matter, neither are you –definitely not you. Nor is Regina." She commented.

"Not many would agree."

Nodding, Danu was still absently starring off into space. "I killed her." She said after a moment, then turned and focused on Gold. "She wouldn't take the curse off… so I killed her, hoping that action would."

Gold looked over her expression, there was something more. "Next question," he said slowly, "what exactly _is The Morrigan_? What is it?"

"Speaking honestly?"

A light laugh escaped him. The question had a sharp point to it. "What would you like to know?" he knew how this worked, if he wanted the answer, he would have to pay for it.

Danu had to smile at his tone. "The price is twofold." She stood and put two steps of distance between them. "This stays between you and me, unless _I_ say otherwise."

"Alright, it'll be our little secret." Gold agreed, absently twirling his cane against his palm. "And?"

Shifting anxiously, Danu had to close her eyes and steeled herself before looking back at him. "Would you tell me?"She knew this was a silly request, but it was something she needed.

Gold blinked. "Tell you what?"

Danu tilted her head to the side and gave him an impatient look. "Don't make me say it. You know what."

Having a quick and calculative mind, Gold quickly realized what she wanted. He held out one of his hands and waited until she took it to bring her back up to him. He didn't release her hand when she stepped closer. "In all my time alive, I've seen some very unorthodox things; even here. Not all fairy tales in Storybrooke have traditional endings… so… of course I would tell you… eventually."

The last word made her smirk. "Right. Almost forgot, your bad with that sort of thing." Danu watched as Gold accentuated his words by placing a light kiss on the back of her hand; she squeezed his hand in response. The affection seemed so natural to them even with the long years and experiences between them. It was nice to know they were still such good friends. "The Morrigan… is very similar to what you are, Rumpelstiltskin. Power source is somewhat the same… the type of magic is slightly different."

Gold's eyebrows rose. "You're a dark one?" he asked incredulously.

"Sorta. With a faery twist, though mother would never admit that, but… yes."

He had to suppress a laugh. "That explains why those chains were imbued with such powerful binding spells." He commented. Then he snapped his fingers, "which leads me to my next question: where are my chains?"

Danu smiled and chuckled. "_Your _chains? I do believe they are mine." She told him.

Tugging on Danu's arm, Gold got her to sit down. "They were my price for removing your heart, or don't you remember?" he asked, an edge appearing in his voice.

"Perhaps it's your memory that isn't as good as you think." Danu's tone was amused. She was enjoying this a little too much. "If _you'd_ remember, Rumple, I put a clause in that agreement." His silence made her think his memory may have been jogged. "As long as they were not used on me, they were yours."

Gold closed his eyes, silently cursing himself. He'd forgotten that she had slipped that in. Perhaps he should have gotten that deal in writing. "And I broke it." He winced. The only other deal he had ever broken was the one he made with his son Balefire. Then he gave her a wily glance. "Which you wanted me to do so you could take them. Why? What do you need them for?" his paranoia went up.

She couldn't help but grin, knowing what kind of assumptions may be running through his head. Her prescience filled in the rest. "I melted down the metal." Danu answered directly.

"Oh." Gold replied, taken aback. "Why?"

"You really don't like not knowing everything, don't you?" Danu shook her head, still amused. At his look, she held up her hands and capitulated. She flipped her one hand around to give Gold a clear view of her ring. "To make this." She told him. "You have a handle on your magic 'cause it takes you more effort… but for me… this place is a lot more like my land. You remember how I had to relearn how to use magic in yours?" When he nodded, she continued. "Here… it's too easy for me to use magic… which also means this world is one of the lands my race of faeries has access to. I've tried to contain my magic, but it's been difficult. So I thought a mild binding spell would work. And as my magic is being precarious, it was too risky to use it to make one, so the enchantment on my chains was a reliable alternative… with some alchemical enhancements and a more… versatile application of course."

While she spoke, Gold nodded, trying to follow her quick succession of words. "Where is the rest of the metal?"

Danu paused. "I made three rings."

"What for?"

Chuckling, Danu shook her head. "I like diversity in my jewelry." She answered blithely.

Against his better judgment, he decided to let it go.

After a moment, Danu shifted slightly on the bed, tugging the robe tighter around herself. "How are you holding up?"

At that, Gold sighed and turned away. "Don't think we should talk about it." He said quietly.

"Why not?" Danu pushed. "Who else can you talk to? Emma? Regina? …Cora, if she were still alive? Come on, Gold. I know we haven't seen much of each other since we first met, but I would still like to consider myself your friend."

"And what would you like to know?" Gold snapped back. "How I barely see my son, even though I have succeeded in bringing him here? That he still will not talk to me on his own? Let's go even further, shall we? How about the fact that the bastard pirate took something from me –yet again –and even with all my power…" Gold paused and tapped his cane hard on the carpet. "I feel powerless."

Danu took a slow, deep breath. "Why do you feel powerless?"

Gold grimaced. "Because… Hook is still alive."

There was at least a minute before Danu had to say what she needed to, though he may not like it. "So you gage your power by being able to kill people?" As she predicted, the very air around them stilled, as did Gold. "Is that why Bae hasn't completely forgiven you ? Because he's still scared of what you are? …what you've become?" Danu asked.

"I know your trying to make a point, Danu, but -."

"No, Rumple. I'm not trying to make a point. I'm trying to help you. And I will, if you let me." Danu interrupted.

Gold smirked. "Are you going to kill him for me?" it was a joke, but it had a serious intention behind it. And he wasn't sure which _him_ he was referring to.

Danu shook her head. "I can take care of Belle. …or the person she is now. Help her get her bearings and get her to a place that she'll be willing to get to know you again. When you both get reacquainted, perhaps she'll fall in love with you and the curse can then be broken." She explained. "At the very least, you won't have to lose her as a friend; it couldn't hurt."

That caught him off guard; he wasn't expecting her to want to help him get Belle back. "She's seen me use magic, woke up to me kissing her and smashed the teacup that is her talisman, which I have carried for years. I don't think she will be falling in love with me any time soon." Gold argued, still not able to face the woman beside him.

"Then be patient." Danu replied. "Give her space. Give her time. I can work on the magic thing. My magic is different; maybe she'll be able to accept the facts about magic from me better than anyone else." She paused. "But if you don't trust me to take care of her… I'll stay away."

He couldn't speak for a moment, so Gold simply met Danu's gaze. Her purple eyes radiated how earnest she was being. Gold knew how hard Morrigan tried to keep her darkness at bay since being exiled, finding the means in the Old Religion of her ancestors and her faery lineage. Of the few, she knew how easy it was to slip, and how hard it was to get back to a state of mind where at least she couldn't harm anyone. Morrigan –Danu –was as much a trickster and puppeteer as he, but didn't hurt people if she could help it. In the Enchanted Forest, she couldn't afford being known; it was the same here in Storybrooke. But then, with Gold and Regina nearby, she didn't need to worry about being suspect number one. "Keep her safe." Gold finally said.

Danu smiled. "I will. But you have to assure me that you'll back off. Leave her alone… at least until she's ready to see you."

"Fine." Gold agreed. He took her measure, and took his time doing so. "At least I now know why you've never been afraid of me." He sighed, almost feeling as if a weight nearly lifted from his shoulders. Gold turned fully towards her, tucking the cane by his knee and took both her hands. "If anything happens to her…"

"I know." Danu smirked. "The rumble begins." She laughed. "We should make a little coliseum so the people of Storybrook can watch. Make it indestructible while we fight the eternal fight. They'll probably bet. How many do you think would put their money on you?" she asked hypothetically.

Gold couldn't help but smile back. "Most. But then, they don't know who you are." He gave her his signature smile. He squeezed her hands, one after another. "And what about you, dearie? What do you get out of babysitting for me?"

Danu glared at him. "Don't call it that. And…" she shrugged. "I want to see you happy. This girl does that… so…"

"Ah." Gold leaned in. "You don't need her to get to me."

"Oh, I know." Danu leaned in as well; not one to be outdone. "I can get to you all by myself. I just like knowing you'll owe me." They stared each other down for a few moments. While Gold watched her, Danu watched his expressions flicker. He seemed to be struggling with a decision; and still agitated from talking about the very things that he had been mulling over. She gave him a quizzical look.

One side of Gold's lips twitched. "Remember when we used to have those heated arguments?"

A slight flush appeared on Danu's cheeks. "Yes. Why do you bring it up?"

Instead of answering, he put one hand on her cheek, running a thumb on the reddened skin. "And do you still love me?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. His eyes were suddenly intense.

"Yes." Danu answered, uncertain.

Suddenly he had her up on his lap with hands inside her robe, gripping her skin. Needing an outlet desperately, Gold turned to one he hadn't used in a very long time. "Then no more talking." He said just before capturing the faery woman's lips with his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The odd looks she was getting were starting to make her nervous. The nurses and staff knew she existed; she was in their records and there was one time as her cursed self that she had needed medical care, so there were a few who recognized her. But many that didn't. Those who didn't obviously wondered who she was, what she was and why she was there. But beyond a few clipped responses to inquires, Danu did not divulge her purpose.

There was more than one reason she wished to put Belle under her wing. One was to keep her from helping the stranger from doing whatever schemes he had planned. If this new Belle was in the loop, perhaps she would refrain and help Storybrook keep its privacy. She may be more of an outsider in this place herself, but she would be damned if she let magic be exploited and strangled back out of this world just like what happened before. This place needed magic, but its population had no ability to appreciate and care for it.

Danu reached the ward Bella was being kept and walked straight into her room.

Its occupant looked up and gave a sigh. "I seem to get a lot of visitors lately." The elegant English accent showed annoyance as well as curiosity. "Are you a friend of mine as well?" she asked, sitting up straighter on the hospital bed.

With a sardonic smile, Danu shook her head. "We actually haven't met. As for friends... I don't really have any."

Dark brown brows shoot up above startling blue eyes. "Really? Then why are you here?"

"I was just wondering if you would like a friend." When Danu saw her about to say something, she held up her hand. "One with no inclination of knowing you as others have... I want to get to know _you_. Who you are right now, even if you don't know who that is yet."

That took Belle aback.

Danu took the opportunity to enter the room fully, closing the door behind her. "My name is Danuela, but most people call me Danu. What should I call you?"

"Uh... for now you may call me Belle... even though I'm not sure I want to be Belle... but she seemed like a good person." She answered, looking Danu over for the first time, "Yes... call me Belle. Everyone else does... so..." Then she smiled and was a bit afraid that she was babbling. After so long, to actually have someone concerned for her and not who she apparently used to be.

Flicking her white hair back, Danu smiled in return. "Wonderful to meet you, Belle." She greeted. "May I sit down?"

This woman kept surprising Belle. No one seemed to mind making her decisions for her –insisting on pushing this Belle persona onto her. Danu's approach was much more refreshing. "Yes please." She found herself saying.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Danu looked around her. She took note of a novel, heavily loved but deposited in a nearby trash bin; along with a few remaining shards of what was once a teacup. "Tell me something about yourself... that you know."

Belle shifted one of her legs out of the crossed position to stretch it out in front of her. "There isn't much to tell. As far as I've known, I've been in the asylum a very long time. With no memory... just emptiness."

Danu nodded. And she thought she had gotten a bad deal of this curse as the town shut in; but to have no memories at all? Regina must really dislike this girl. "But you're out now... or mostly. What would you do if you could?"

"Well..." Belle thought for a moment. "I'm not much for nature, but being cooped up has me wanting to take a long walk. Get some air and stretch my legs."

Smiling, Danu nodded again. "Not very ambitious, but makes a good start."

Before Danu could say more, Belle put a hand on Danu's knee, leaning in with an intense look. "Danu... if you really want to be my friend... I must know something... and please be honest." Belle waited until Danu nodded to continue. "What I saw when that man came and crashed his car... the ball of flame... was it real?" she asked. "Did I see magic?"

Danu shifted to face her fully. "What I tell you is between you and me. You won't tell anyone? For any reason?" this time she waited for Belle to nod, which took a moment as she hesitated. Belle must have really wanted to know for her to break the tenuous trust the stranger, Greg, had put in her. "What you saw was real. You saw Gold use magic."

Exhaling abruptly, Belle let her gaze fall to the bed. "So magic... it's real?"

"Only here. And for very good reasons." Danu put a hand on Belles shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take, and most of the town is filled with people you do not know... But they are good people, mostly, and deserve their peace and privacy." She urged.

Belle looked back up at Danu's purple eyes. "You are asking me to trust you... and to keep something like this a secret from outsiders?"

"Yes." Danu answered bluntly. "You are part of the magic, Belle. I know it doesn't feel that way... but I can show you. Help you understand. It's something to cherish... not exploit."

Narrowing her eyes, Belle studied Danu. "The man in the car... Greg...you think he would do that?"

Danu nodded right away. "It's rare to have proof of magic here. I think he would use it to his advantage... it could destroy Storybrooke."

Nodding absently, Belle thought for a moment. At least she knew she wasn't crazy. "And you could show me?"

"I could. Just know my magic is slightly different from what you've already seen." Danu commented.

Belle blinked quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well... have you heard of Morrigan LaFey?"

"Well, yeah. It's a King Arthur story." Though she didn't seem to like Joules Verne as much as the tall woman said she did, Belle did find mythology much more entertaining.

Danu chuckled. "That story... the one told here... it's not completely accurate... or at all really. Depending on the version. But it so happens that Morrigan is me." Danu admitted, speaking slowly and bracing herself for the worst that could happen at the admission.

At first Belle looked at her like Danu was crazy. Then thought for a moment. She decided that it didn't matter; so far this girl had been nice and honest to her. More honest than most in this place. "Alright... I'll give you the benefit of the doubt... for now. So you're Morrigan LaFey... what does that make me?"

Danu smiled in relief. "For now?" she grinned at Belle with sincerity. "My friend." At that Belle smiled happily back. Danu shifted into a more comfortable position facing Belle. "I have faery blood in my veins. It makes my magic a bit... random... unstable may be a better word. I also have dark magic inside me from my mother."

"Does that make you dangerous?" Belle asked, concerned.

At that, Danu hesitated but eventually nodded. "Don't worry, I have lived long enough to get a handle and know my triggers." She assured. "In this place, I also put in place extra assurances." She added, fiddling with the ring on her finger.

Thinking about that, Belle looked down at her hands. Her nails were unkempt from being bitten and her hair could do with some care, but this woman still could pull off looking completely charming, even breath taking. But then, most women in Storybrooke were of handsome stock. "Alright." Belle breathed, "Go on."

"Would you like me to show you some? Nothing big or anything... but I can show you something... pretty." Danu suggested, an idea forming in her mind.

An excitement appeared in Belles eyes. "Yes! Show me!" she practically bounced on the bed.

But Danu held up her hands. "Whoa. Hold on. I can't do it here. But I am willing to take you to a protected place where I can show you. Are you willing to go with me?"

Belle hesitated. Did she dare go with this white haired woman with the strange purple eyes? Leave Storybrooke General? That last thought was very appealing; she had enough of these hospital walls.

Mr. Gold had basically told her that she was brave. For some reason that counted for something.

Belle looked Danu straight in the eyes. She took a deep breath, and smiled excitedly. "Let's go."

Danu grinned and grabbed the bag she had brought with her. "I hoped you'd say that, so I brought you a change of clothes and a few things to allow our exit to go unnoticed." She told Belle with a wink. From the bag she brought out a change of clothes, a knitted toque for Belles wealth of hair and slightly tinted glasses.

Once Belle had changed and looked more like a normal, healthy woman instead of an unstable wreck, she and Danu calmly walked out of the hospital like old pals and headed into the forest.

_..._

_One of the Lands of Faery_

The grip of her foot on the branch was starting to slip, so she tried to adjust. For one heart stopping moment, her foot had no purchase and left her struggling to keep her grip at both hands. With a grunt, Danu lifted herself back up and found new purchase. She stayed there until her heart stopped pumping so hard and so fast.

"Geez, Dani, you could give someone a heart attack." A voice said above her. It was a young man's voice, just shy of reaching puberty. The voice belonged to a gangly yet wiry boy a good five years older than her with light brown hair of youth and dazzling steel blue eyes. His words held both concern and condescension.

Danu looked up to scold at the boy. "To bad you didn't actually have one." She shot back half heartedly as she continued climbing. She went up several more branches, getting level with her opponent. Danu gave him a triumphant grin and stuck out her tongue before going even higher in the tree. She just needed to get a little higher. As she lifted a foot, she felt her dress snag and pulled on it. A ripping sound told her she'd torn it, but Danu would worry about that later.

The boy watched her test the thinner branches as she went. He hadn't got that high in the tree since he was much smaller and lighter. His weight now would break the branches; as he feared would happen if Danu went any further. "Okay, okay. You proved your point, you can stop now." He hadn't realized his boyish teasing would provoke her like this. He didn't want to get blamed if she fell during her visit.

"Danuela!" called a man near the foot of the tree which grew in the courtyard of a grand dark stoned castle. "You get down from there at once!" his tone was more afraid than angry.

Giggling past the boy, Danu nimbled her way down the branches to land lightly on the ground. In a burst, she ran to the regally attired man. "Papa! Did you see me? I beat Jereth!" she exclaimed girlishly as she reached him. A few small fluttering wildling faeries quickly got out of her way, with tiny huffing sounds displaying their displeasure. "He said girls couldn't climb trees, but I showed him!" she said proudly.

Lord Wyette LaFey looked past his beaming daughter to find Jereth also out of the tree approaching them; a quiet smile on his face but his head was low with veiled contriteness. Wytette nodded. "Prince Jereth. I'm happy to see you do as boys do, but perhaps when with my daughter, you could find something more appropriate to do?" it was a question, but not a serious one. This prince would soon be a King, and Wyette was but a Lord from a different realm which was connected to this one; like two bubbles stuck to each other yet separate.

Prince Jereth shrugged. "I did try." He said and gave Danu a nudge. "But Dani insisted."

Danu made an unladylike noise. "You're the one that said I couldn't climb it."

Wyette knelt. "Which you proved wrong, my dove. That doesn't mean you must stick his nose in it. He is a Prince after all."

Now the one contrite, Danu lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry papa."

Boot heels were heard coming from the other side of the courtyard. "Is that any way for a lady to act in front of royalty... even Faery royalty?" A dark haired, middle aged beauty asked in a deep, rich and harsh tone. She wore an extravagant gown with her hair up in a complex hairdo and make up which accentuated her eyes, lips and cheeks. Her eyes were such a deep, dark purple that they were almost black and were of stark contrast to her alabaster skin and fierce face. But what really caught the eye were the glittering dark runes that seemed to be etched along the planes of her skin like elegant tattoos. In some light, one could barely see them, but in others, stuck out in astonishing contrast. This was Lady Morrigan LaFey, Danu's mother, and _The Morrigan_ –her true name almost long forgotten. As she crossed the cobbled stonework, Morrigan swatted at a few faeries that weren't quick enough to get out of her way. One hit the ground with a tiny shout of pain and was surrounded by her sympathetic brothers and sisters. She took one look at her daughter and sighed heavily. "Why is it that when left for only a few minutes, you have accomplished to rip your dress?" Morrigan asked, but when Danu tried to answer, she shushed her and put up a hand. "I expect more from you than this, Danu."

Cheeks red, Danu had to be heard. "But mother," she wasn't allowed to call her anything else, "I bested the Prince! I proved I could do something he could not."

One eyebrow rose, and the smallest smile appeared and disappeared just as quickly. "I see. Well perhaps next time, you can best him and keep your dignity intact." She chastened

Danu's face fell and she looked to the ground. Beside her, Jereth didn't think much of Danu's mother and his expression said as much.

Morrigan sneered. "Come along. We have been here for too long. I've heard tell that King Uther's wife has passed on. Perhaps now is a good time to take advantage of his sorrow to strike a betrothal between his son and our daughter." She said with a lazy air as one of her servant guards handed her a glass to drink from.

Wyatte took a few steps up to his wife, separating the children from the conversation. "Nonsense, my beloved. You well know that can't happen. For one, Uther would never agree to an arrangement like that." He told her, casting a side glance at Danu before leading Morrigan away to a place they wouldn't be heard.

Danu sighed. Her mother was a hard woman to please, which was why Danu focused on making her father smile. She felt that was her duty, seeing as he had a wife as impossible as her mother.

Jereth tapped her on the shoulder, and when she faced him, gave her a smile. It was a cocky smile mixed with concern. "It's alright, Dani. My father knows your mothers opinion of his realm and overlooks it. He doesn't care what she thinks, and that makes her edgy. What my father cares about is your father's promises. You and he are of us, nothing can change that." He said with youthful superiority. Jereth puffed himself up when she smiled back. "Anyway... before you leave, I was hoping to give you something."

Eyes lighting up, Danu grinned up at the boy prince. "What is it?"

"Close your eyes." Jereth told her

Not without giving a pointedly suspicious look, did Danu close her eyes.

"Hold out your hand."

She did so. Something warm and roundish was placed in her palm. It wasn't heavy, but had weight to it.

"Now open your eyes." Prince Jereth commanded.

When Danu opened her eyes and looked at her hand, she saw a carved wooden pendant connected to a leather string. The carving was of a maze, but an elaborate three dimensional maze sphere. She held it up and spun it slowly to try to see every angle. "This is remarkable, Jeri, thank you." She said, truly awed. "Did you make this?" she asked.

Jereth shook his head with a lazy shrug. "No, but I designed it. I'm still learning my magic." He explained.

Danu sighed before he could say more. "I wish I could do magic." She said wistfully. "Not like my mother, though. Like this. To make beautiful things." She said.

"You have faery blood, Dani. I'm sure you have magic, and when you're ready, you'll come here to learn." Jereth said confidently, taking the amulet and putting the leather around her neck. "There is magic in this. A wish. But you must solve the labyrinth first. Once you do, it will open, and then you may make a wish." He smiled down at the young impressionable Danu. "Then... I donno... you can use it to store charms or lucky items." He said with another shrug. "May this help you when you need it most... anything you put in it should be able to work anywhere."

The gift left her speechless. No one had ever given her something so special, but there was also a foreboding sense as she looked in his steel blue eyes. She gave him a warm and thankful smile before going up on her tip toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Jereth." Danu finally was able to say.

Jereth's childish cheeks spotted for a moment.

From the entrance of the courtyard came the sound of her mother's voice calling impatiently. Wincing, Danu sighed. She curtsied to the Prince. "Bye." She bade before sprinting towards her parents.

For a moment Jered could only watch her go. He was so still that one of the hoof toed faeries that was visiting the castle came and stood on his shoulders. "Bye." He said to no one.

_..._

_Storybrooke_

Belle used a nearby tree branch to help her climb over a fallen log. "How much farther? Feels like we've been walking for hours."

Danu chuckled, walking slightly ahead of the other girl. "We're pretty much there. The sacred alcove is supposed to be hard to find, that way no unwanted visitors find it." She said, pushing back a thick overgrown thorn bush to allow Belle to pass through it. After her new friend made it in, Danu followed, picking up the faint trail in the concealed grove.

It wasn't that big, perhaps a half dozen feet to all sides; surrounded by trees and almost completely obscured from the main paths, this was a secret place. On the opposite end of where they stood, there seemed to be a small stone alter with a tea light, a bell and a small statuette. Danu went up to this and took out a matchbox. She lit the candle and sat in front of the stone, gesturing for Belle to do the same. Once Belle was impatiently seated beside her, Danu gave her the ring she was wearing. "Don't loose this." She said as she touched the statuette before gesturing to the arch like backdrop within the thicket behind the altar. With her gesture, there seemed to appear a glimmering light that filled the small archway with shinny light.

A tiny gasp escaped Belle as she watched the archway shimmer.

Danu took one slow breath in before exhaling just as slowly. "Faery in the groove, make yourself known. Only friends wait on this side of the door, so come out that we may know you more. Come little faery, come and play. Let us see you by light of day." She intoned and rang the bell. This was old magic, elemental magic; that which Gold, Cora and Regina knew almost nothing about.

A few moments passed before Belle turned to Danu. "Now what?" she whispered.

"Just wait." Danu said with a smile, looking pointedly at the archway now filled with magic. "I can only make the doorway on this side... my request needs to be heard, then a connection made on the other side. This is the only way I know how to make a portal... luckily, this world connects with a world I am familiar with." She said, somewhat ruefully.

Belle nodded and turned back to the thicket. Just when she was about to get impatient again, she thought she saw a flicker. Then heard the sound of a far off tinkling of a bell. Another flicker and then the portal seemed to shimmer with hundreds of colors.

Out from it, as dainty and wild as one could possibly imagine, came a faery. But not the kind of faery that one would have found in the Enchanted Realm with their pastel gowns and fairy dust; these were very different. These were wild, adventurous, curious and untamable. These did not need fairy dust as long as there was wildness in the world. As long as there was adventure and imagination. The closest depiction Danu had ever found in this world that was close enough to what these faeries were like were the works of Brian Froud and his fairies (and goblins of course).

It looked Danu up and down in its gossamer, frail looking white dress. It had goat toes, pointed ears and large slanted eyes that were dark and fathomless. It seemed to recognize her, for it came closer, tiny wings fluttering as it hopped closer.

Danu nodded in welcome and respect. Even though these fae were almost the lowest caste in the faery realm, they deserved far more respect then Danu gave most people. "Thank you for coming." Danu greeted.

The faery looked curiously at Belle.

"This is my friend, people here call her Belle." Danu introduced.

Belle nodded like Danu had at the site, finding her voice in her shock and amazement. "How do you do." She greeted.

A grin spread across the faeries face and it curtsied as elegantly as a courtier.

Belle was flabbergasted. While the fairy was completely foreign to her, Danu had accomplished the task of showing her something truly amazing and beautiful. "We won't keep you long." Belle said, at the same time wishing she could keep the little tyke, but suppressed the urge, knowing that Danu would not stand for it.

Danu agreed. "No, we shant." Her Avalonian accent came out slightly with those words. "I wanted to show you this place. It's a safe grove for you and your friends to visit here again. No one will disturb you and your dances here. You can return to this realm once more." She said, indicating the secret place.

The Faery looked beyond the two women, fluttering up over their heads to get a better view. When she landed again, she gave Danu a look.

Apparently Danu knew what the faery wanted to say. "When we leave, I will put an enchantment that will allow no one but I to enter, but even then, only with permission or if you are not already here. I shall protect it. I promise." This had been her real reason of coming here, but she thought she may as well bring Belle and show her natural magic.

After a moment, the faery smiled again and nodded. She curtsied again before waving in thanks and enthusiasm to the both of them before departing through the portal once again. This time the shimmering colors within the archway disappeared and the connection was broken.

Danu looked over at Belle. "How was that for magic?" she asked.

Belle beamed over at her. "That was wonderful! Thank you!" somehow Belle knew what sort of trust Danu must have put into Belle for her to show her something so precious and private. But she wasn't yet ready to go back to the hospital.

With a sigh, Danu stood and held her hand out to help Belle do as well. "On the way back, you can ask me anything you like." She said to try to make it up to her. Danu didn't really want Belle in that hospital any more than Belle did.

"Alright."

With a smile, Danu parted the bushes again and they exited the grove. True to her word, Danu put a protection spell on the small piece of area so that no one would ever think to look within or get too close.

They turned to leave, but they must have only gone ten steps before they heard a commotion coming towards them and suddenly a small group of people appeared from the bush directly in front of them. At the lead was Ruby, with Leroy and a few of the nurses in the hospital. Danu groaned. They must have discovered Belle missing sooner than Danu expected them too and got Ruby to help them find Belle. And knowing Leroy had been friends with Belle as well brought him along too.

Ruby looked Danu up and down, but recognized her immediately. "You? What the hell are you doing with Belle?" she demanded.

"Why did you kidnap her and bring her here?" Leroy put in, clearly thinking the worst.

Danu sighed and shared a look with Belle. She put up her hands even though she knew even Ruby wasn't a match for her –not with her ring still in Belles possession. "Calm down, Red. It's not what you think." She said as patiently as she could muster.

"And what exactly do you think I could be thinking?" Ruby asked.

"That I would harm Belle." Danu stated plainly, and a bit sharply. "Come on, Red. Remember last full moon?" At Ruby's slightly uncomfortable shift in stance, Danu guessed she did. "I thought you knew that I deal with the forest a lot. My scent had led you straight to me that time. Remember, I wasn't afraid." She stated.

Ruby sighed.

Leroy looked between the two. "Ruby?"

Danu raised an eyebrow at Red. "Ask yourself this... why wouldn't I be afraid of a werewolf?"

"I get it." Ruby couldn't help snap. "You swear that you were not going to harm Belle?"

Danu scoffed. "Why would I hurt my only friend?" she asked rhetorically. "No, I was doing you all a favor. Not keeping her in the dark about what this place really is. Seriously, why are we keeping it a secret from her? It doesn't make sense. So now she knows and I'm pretty sure she'll be careful what she says to that Greg character. You're welcome." She said in a slightly scolding tone.

"Wait... she's a were...werewolf?" Belle asked, looking Ruby up and down a bit timidly.

Ruby nodded. "Yes, but I can control it, don't worry." She tried to sound as soothing as she could.

Turning to Belle, Danu tried to reassure her as well. "Don't worry. It's good to be best friends with a werewolf. And I'm sure it comes in handy as well... considering she found us so fast." She added; casting Ruby an appreciative though annoyed look.

"I think it's time we got back to the hospital now." Leroy suggested, still looking at Danu suspiciously.

All three women blanched, Belle most of all.

"Why can't she just stay with me?" Danu found herself asking, not only surprising the search party but herself as well.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

Danu shrugged. "I can protect her... I have the time, the knowhow and the space in my house. I can take care of her medications... I can even agree to hospital visits if it makes everyone happy... but I'm sure I can take care of her." What the hell, she rolled with it. The house did seem more empty than usual. Time to put a house guest in the guest room.

Belle smiled. "I would really much rather stay with her than in a hospital... it's not very homely." She said even as she rubbed her arm. There were many other things a hospital was, but was going to be left unsaid.

One of the nurses pursed her lips. "You'll still have to come back to the hospital and sign a bunch of release forms."

"That's fine." Danu nodded.

Thus they found themselves on the trail back to the hospital, Danu feeling as if she had accomplished a great deal for the day; Belle feeling ecstatic that she didn't have to spend more time than necessary in that dreadful General Hospital.

_..._

_Avalon_

The unexpected snap and burst of what Merlin liked to call firecrackers brought Danu out of her solemn contemplation. She sat up straight and looked up at her instructor with a guilty look.

Merlin pierced her with an abolishing glance. Those unfathomable eyes could pierce steal and see through a person as if looking at their very soul. His beard was white with brown at the edges and a few wrinkles showed though on his tanned skin. He wore elaborate yet plain robes that frayed at the edges. Merlin only wore his good and colorful cloths when he had to go to court. His hands were ink and charcoal stained from scribing and experimenting with his alchemy and science. It was rare to find a wizard who mixed the two with such successful results; it was what made him so powerful; and feared. After a moment he sighed. "I know that the last week has been hard for you, _Morrigan_. But you must focus or else this dark power will consume you. It has also unleashed your more potent faerie abilities, which you must learn to control as well. Focus, child! It is in you!"

Danu pursed her lips. "My name is Danu." She intoned; not for the first time. It was a testing method; the moment she allowed someone to call her Morrigan, she would _be_ the Morrigan. She started to find it tiring to continuously correct him. More than that, she missed her home; she missed her father even more. Danu even missed visiting the Faery Kingdom her childhood friend Jereth would soon be ruling, if he wasn't already. She had looked forward to going there again and learning from his family's mystics; but both her father and Merlin believed that they wouldn't be able to help her now.

How could they? She had murdered her mother. And the runes that once adorned her mother, now burned on her own skin. Merlin was certain it was because she was resisting; though they were bothering her slightly less since first getting them. He was currently trying to teach Danu how to transfigure herself so that the runes did not show. They were a blatant display of what she was, and Merlin didn't believe that Danu would become what her mother was: power hungry and ruthless.

"Are you ready?" Merlin asked after a moment passed.

Nodding, Danu sat up and shook herself, willing herself to concentrate. She looked up at Merlin, meeting him directly in the eyes. "Yes. Please continue, Master Merlin." She said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Storybrooke_

It wasn't so easy to convince the hospital to allow Danu to take care of Bella. They were of the impression that Bella was better off there; _right_, she had been sedated half the time, and had been getting more and more frustrated with each correspondent day. With no one around who would answer her questions honestly. Yes, the hospital was the _perfect_ place to keep Bella-if they truly wanted her to be psycho. A point Danu took full advantage of discussing with the staff. Needless to say, by the time they brought out the release forms, Danu was done being polite and accommodating.

Eventually they came at a compromise-after seeing that Danu could use magic- and would allow Bella to leave with her only if Bella agreed to come in on a daily bases for the first few weeks so the hospital could assess her wellbeing as well as administer her a few drugs they insisted she would need if she were to be let out on the world. As well as a bi-weekly session with Dr. Hopper, at least until Belle regained her memories. After that, the visits would either become less frequent or the hospital would revoke their decision.

Either way, Danu got Bella out of the hospital, out of reach of would-be doctors.

To celebrate she and Belle went to Grannies for drinks and an early supper. Between the hike and the hours getting the release forms at the hospital, they were both very hungry. Danu motioned to the empty booth. "How about some cheese burgers? I hear they're fantastic here." She suggested.

Belle's eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful." She sat while looking around the quaint establishment.

Ruby had accompanied them to the diner and when Belle seemed excited at the prospect of burgers, she couldn't help but smile. "I'll just get that ordered for you. How about some ice tea's as well?" she asked; Ruby had to go back on shift anyway.

"Yes, that would be excellent, thanks." Danu replied.

Belle nodded as well with a broader smile than she could remember having on her face. When Ruby had gone, she looked over at Danu. "Thank you so much for everything you've done." She said; her words genuine. Then Belle gave her a shrewd look. "Why are you doing this? I know you want to keep magic here safe… but why be my friend? You could have just scared me into keeping quiet."

Danu raised an eyebrow. "Perceptive, but it's easier to catch flies with honey than it is vinegar." She stated a-matter-of-factly.

Cocking her head to the side, Belle's expression turned amused. "Is that how that saying goes?"

"I don't know." Danu shrugged and smiled. When Ruby brought their drinks, Danu took a large pull of the ice tea. It hit the spot after so much walking.

Belle was still studying her. "Is it true?"

"Sure it is. I always leave honey out when I want to catch pesky flies." Danu commented offhandedly.

"No…" Belle shook her head. "That you don't have any friends."

Pausing, Danu looked Belle in the eyes. She sighed and pushed her drink to the side. "Yes and no." she grimaced. "I used to have friends… then I went a long time without any. Now… I guess you can say that I have _a _friend. But that is a very complicated… and long, friendship." Danu continued, her eyes unfocusing for a moment. Then she looked up from under her lashes and met Belles blue eyes again and gave her a small smile. "Actually… it's Mr. Gold." She may as well get that tidbit out now rather than later.

Pursing her lips, Belle leaned back then nodded slowly. "I see. Did he ask you to—?"

"No." Danu assured, using the usual hand gestures unconsciously. "Totally my idea. You need someone to look out for you, but someone who won't try to force memories on you that you can't access because of the curse." She had given Belle the rundown on the curse while they had their walk in the woods. Her audience listened intently, though she wasn't sure Belle truly believed quite yet. Danu cleared her throat. "And I saw an opportunity to have a girlfriend of my own." She took her drink and fiddled with the straw as she looked into the orange-brown tint of the liquid. "_That_ I haven't ever had. Storybrooke sort of brought a new start for its people… I guess I wanted one too."

Suddenly in her field of vision was Belle's hand, taking the one Danu wasn't using to abuse the straw. Danu looked up to see the other woman smiling at her. "Thank you for being honest." Belle said, her dimples popping out. She tried to look serious, even though her eyes said otherwise. "But now you won't be able to say that you don't have any girlfriends."

It took a moment, but a sudden profound feeling tingled inside Danu. This girl had every right to be distrustful of her and the whole town; but the real Bella must be leaking through for her to put faith in Danu and the unknown. Danu had to smile back; grateful and oddly pleased that Belle wanted her friendship.

Both of their attention was suddenly drawn to the abrupt entrance of Sheriff Swan and her son, Henry. She went up to the counter where Ruby was getting a few drinks for some others ready. "Ruby, can you look after Henry for a bit? Mary Margaret, David and I need to go take care of a few things and can't take him with us." She asked; her cheeks were a bit red; her giant eyes had that worried look. Henry however looked very grumpy to be left out of the action, _again_, even after proving many times how useful he could be.

"I'm sorry, Emma, but we're a bit busy here." Ruby replied as she took the drinks to one of the occupied tables.

"Please, can I go with you?" Henry asked, taking the chance to ask again. He tried to give his mother his best puppy dog face he could manage.

But Emma would have nothing of it. "No. I'm going to find someone to look after you." She knelt down to be eye level with him. "I'm sorry, Henry. But I'll just be constantly trying to keep you safe, and that could cost me or you're… grandparents." She told him, still uncomfortable referring to David and Mary as such.

Danu looked at Belle, then back at the scene. "We can watch him, Sheriff. He'll be safe here."

Emma looked over, noticed Belle as well and cautiously walked over with Henry in tow. "Who are you?" she asked, the words spilling out though she tried not to sound rude.

Danu tried to give her a reassuring smile. "You want the long version, or short?"

"Short, I'm kind of in a hurry." Emma stated, though it looked like Danu's comment made her more curious.

Nodding, Danu held out her hand. "Danuela LaFey." She said honestly; her eye contact with the Sheriff was enough to know you didn't want to try lying to this woman.

That got an eyebrow raise. Emma brought Henry in front of her, holding him to her. "LaFey? What, are you related to Morrigan LaFey?" she asked.

"You could say that." Danu grimaced. "Morrigan is more of a title than a name." she admitted. Danu gave Emma a smile and looked directly in her eyes. "I swear no harm will come to him while you leave him with us." She said, absently gesturing to Belle. After a moment, Danu looked down at Henry. "And I have some stories he may be interested in."

That got a smile out of the boy; he looked up at his mom with a pleading glance.

With a heavy sigh, Emma was already running a bit late meeting up with her parents. "Alright." She capitulated. "Just make sure you stay here; no taking him someplace else." She shook Danu's hand.

"Understood." Danu agreed.

Emma patted Henry on the shoulder before letting him go. Before she left, she gave both women an appreciative smile and departed quickly.

Henry slid in beside Danu. "So… you have stories?"

Danu laughed. "Yes." She told him, going into her bag. "I think you would be interested in the stories of others who have come here. So… I thought I would loan you this." She brought out a book that looked much like the one Henry had of the Enchanted Realm's stories, but looked to be in better condition, with an elaborate "II: Mythos and Legend" under the "Once Upon A Time" title. As Henry took it, reverently, Danu opened the book to the first page. "This book has the tales that have ties to this worlds stories that are more… legend than fairy tale. I do believe Dr. Frankenstein's story is in here as well… so is King Arthur and the Round Table."

"You're story." Henry commented.

Jaw clenching for a moment, Danu sighed. "I'm only a small part of that story, Henry… but the Story of Morrigan LaFey is there as well…" she told him, watching him glance through a few pages. "Will this keep you busy for a while?" she asked, half jokingly.

Henry nodded without taking his nose away from the book. "Definitely." Then he did look up. "Where did you find this?"

"It's been in my library at home, actually. Of course, while I was cursed I just thought it was an old antique from my grandparents… but I think it's much like the other book. The stories have to be somewhere… they can't disappear completely, so they became books." She shifted so that one arm sat lazily on the back of the booth seat and the other on the table.

Nodding, as if this made perfect sense, Henry gave Danu a quizzical look. "So, you're actually _the_ Morrigan LaFey?" he asked, though she could tell he had other questions unrelated to her identity.

Danu laughed quietly. "Yes."

"Are there others from where you're from here?"

"No." She pointed to the book. "Avalon has a powerful wizard to protect it, Henry. A wizard that can portal jump as well as impart powerful protection spells. Protection strong enough to keep the rest of Avalon safe from you're… from Regina's curse." She explained, taking a moment to cast an amused look at Belle.

Henry seemed to accept that. Mary Margaret and Emma had told David about Lancelot's death back in the Enchanted Realm; he'd happened to eavesdrop. He looked back down at the pages. "Do you think there are more books like this?" he asked.

Danu shrugged in answer. "There could be. Perhaps you should ask Mary Margaret where she found the original one." She suggested. "Once they come back from whatever they are doing."

"They're doing something about the portal beans." He told her absently.

Eyebrow raised, she nudged Henry. "How do you know that?"

Henry shrugged. "I pretend to be asleep." He said simply.

The conversation was put on pause as Danu's and Belle's burgers were brought to their table. They allowed Henry to nibble on their fries as they ate; now that food was in front of them, their stomachs gurgled even more with hunger.

After a few minutes, Danu had to ask, "So Henry… are you still under the impression that everything here is as black and white as evil and good?"

The boy gave her an odd look. "What other way is there?"

Danu dusted her hands off. "_Well_… have you ever heard the saying, evil isn't born, it's made?"

Henry nodded. "Rumpelstiltskin says that in the other stories."

"There's more to that saying than just implying that evil doesn't start evil. No one person is completely good and no one is completely evil. There is a large area filled with gray." She said to him. Danu popped a fry into her mouth. "Would you say that your grandmother –Snow White, is good?"

Automatically Henry nodded his head. "Definitely."

Danu cocked her head to one side. "Yet she was able to do something evil. She used your adoptive mother to kill Cora." She said bluntly, getting a silent response. "Regina, who you claim is evil, risked her life to make sure Mary Margaret and your mother made it through the portal coming back from Snow's land. Henry… she could have _died_. That net would have flattened Cora if it had been her to go through it. Regina took all that energy and put her life at risk to save Emma and Mary Margaret. Was that evil?"

Henry shook his head. "She was trying to be good."

"What I'm trying to say, Henry," Danu continued, seeing his young mind trying to keep a stubborn grasp on unrealistic expectations, "Is that such absolutes are unrealistic. There will always be a middle ground. Everyone has the capacity of great good, or great evil. It's not fair to label someone one or the other. People make mistakes. People surprise themselves. Neither makes one evil or good. People are too complicated to be defined by such narrow guidelines."

For a moment, it looked like Henry was about to argue, but then he looked up at Danu with eyes much more mature than they had a right to be. "Are you trying to say to not be so hard on my mother… both of them?" he added as an afterthought.

Danu smiled. "I guess so." She cleared her throat. "Also… these stories," she pointed at the book he held, "are not black and white characters. You're going to find that even the good guys are capable of doing terrible things." She warned.

Henry nodded. "Thanks."

"You're a very grown up boy, you know that?" Belle chimed in. She looked at Henry with an impressed expression.

Beaming, Henry closed the book and put it in his backpack he carried almost everywhere. "Thanks. Did you want me to tell you your story, Belle?" he asked earnestly.

He didn't see her grimace, but when he looked up, Belle gave him a small smile. "I don't think I'm ready yet. But thank you."

"No problem." Henry gave her a boyish grin, looking innocent and young once more.

Belle flipped her hair out of the way as she drank her tea; having finished her burger. "I bet you know everything that has been going on in this town, Henry. Instead of telling me my story… why don't you tell me what's been going on? I find myself out of the loop." She asked, finding herself actually curious.

As Henry filled Belle in as best he could, Danu looked up to see Mr. Mandel entering the diner and taking a seat in one of the back booths. She caught his glance at Belle, which he quickly tried to hide. She excused herself from the other two and went up to Greg's booth, taking a quick look around. "Hey, aren't you the stranger Belle has told me about? The one that nearly hit her with your car?" she asked beguilingly.

Greg blinked, looking a bit startled. "Is that her name?" he drew in a breath. "I guess so. I mean, that night is still a bit fuzzy." Then he gave her a smile. "And you are?"

"Oh, Danu." She said, holding out her hand for him to shake, watching him carefully and managing to make eye contact. "How are you liking Storybrooke?" she asked and slid into the seat across from him.

"It's a very quaint little town. Has some great landmarks—."

"Let me just make one thing clear." Danu interrupted, her whole demeanor changing. "I don't know exactly why you're here, but I have an idea of what you're after." She told him. "On that note, I think I would believe Regina when she said you won't find it here." She leaned in to put emphasis on her words. "And you're _friend_… you might want to ask yourself what she really wants out of this place. 'Cause I will tell you now, that there are people here that will defend their town at all costs. Do not underestimate them." Danu leaned back against the booth seat. "Hurt this town in any way, Mr. Mendel… and it won't be me that you will have to worry about." She let the threat hang in the air. "This will be your only warning." With that, she got up and went back to her and Belle's booth.

Belle looked at her with a bit of worry in her eyes. "What did you say to him?"

Danu sighed. "I just gave him the only warning he is likely to get." She took her drink and took a pull. "Unfortunately that is all I can do. It's not my place to do more."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, giving her a scrutinizing look.

She gave Henry another smile. "It's just a sense I get. Don't worry about it, Henry." She ruffled his scruffy hair affectionately. She'd always liked children.

~. ~. ~.

On a whim, Danu decided to leave the house and seek the solitude of the forest. It was going to be a bright, warm day, so a walk would do just nicely. Belle was back at the hospital getting a daily analysis and to renew her prescriptions, as was the deal. It would be an all day event, considering Danu also told Belle to go shopping for herself afterwards and had taken one of Danu's (enchanted) credit cards. So Danu would be by herself, something she hoped would become more and more rare. It was nice to have another living soul in her home. Someone to share meals and conversation with.

With no real direction or destination in mind, Danu set off with an empty satchel just in case and a bag with snacks and water. With the warming of weather, the birds had also come back and were chirping at each other trying to get another birds attention. Danu smiled at the sound and took a deep breath of the sweet fresh air.

This was becoming a good day.

She spent some hours wandering thus, collecting plants and flowers every now and then when she found some she could use. She also found some roots and oddly enough a truffle or two -though she suspected that may have been luck as having truffles grow in this area was very rare. Danu hummed to herself as she went and sometimes sang back to the birds that still seemed to chirp around her. The nights working the karaoke bar at the _Rabbit Hole_ seemed to be paying off; she was getting better (in her opinion as she didn't think she sang very well) at harmonizing. Danu bet that soon enough she and Belle would be rocking the Karaoke together, once she got this version of Belle to unwind and come out of her shell a little bit.

As she went along, suddenly something didn't seem right. Something was out of place. Danu stopped to concentrate on what could have changed. Then she heard it, or rather, didn't hear it. The birds had stopped singing. She spun around to try to find out why and quickly found the reason.

He was hunched at a tree looking a bit haggard and tired. Still dressed in his black leathers and silver buttons and buckles. His one hand pressed to his hip as he took his rest. Of course, the other did nothing as it wasn't there, just a stump with the black connector he used for his hook.

Danu smirked and turned it quickly into a smile. "Captain Killian Jones. What a pleasure. I heard you were in Storybrooke. Haven't had the ideal tourist experiences I see. Oh, and how was New York?"

Hook gave her a sour look. "And what do we have here? Ah yes, I recognize you now. You are that wench witch Mila insisted on having on board for female companionship." he scorned as he tried to lean on the tree at a more comfortable angle. "Did you put those sword lessons to good use, love? I see you are as hale and wicked looking as you were when we met." he commented, looking at her as if trying to figure out how she could have lived this long without joining him and his crew to Neverland after Mila died. In fact, the last time he had seen Danu was when he told Mila about meeting Rumpelstiltskin in the dark alley and agreed to fight at dawn.

Following his train of thought, Danu's tongue stuck out between her lips. "Ah yes... sorry about deserting, Captain, but I was done with being a pirate and really had no intension of going to Neverland. For I am not as short lived." she put her bag down and approached the pirate Captain. "Sorry to hear about Mila." she said as she took her steps.

~. ~. ~.

_Enchanted Realm; sea port_

Mila watched as her true love stepped off the deck and back onto the docks towards his fight with her ex husband. She wrung her hands together and sighed deeply, her heart in her throat.

Danu came up beside her, decked in pirate leathers, trinkets and the like; and a sword at her hip. "Don't fret, Mila. The Captain is more than capable of going into port by himself at his leisure. What are you worried about?" she asked, seeing the first mates distress.

Shaking her head, Mila turned to her friend. "He's not going to port to drink or get supplies... he's going back to fight someone." she confided. She and Danu walked to the forecastle, climbing the steps to perhaps catch one last glimpse.

Still, Danu did not understand Mila's worry. "So? He's beaten ruffians that claim they are better than he before. Why should this be different? Killian will be back with a hilarious tale of how easy it was to best this wastrel." Danu continued to try to lift Mila's spirits, looking out in the predawn light for their Captain.

Mila groaned. "It's my husband."

"What?" Danu asked. "Your husband? ...But isn't he...?"

Nodding, Mila faced Danu once more. "Rumpelstiltskin, yes. I have heard of what he has become in order to 'save' our son from war. But also of the stories of... of how he has let this darkness consume him. He is the dark one." she said in a rush, her voice becoming more high pitched. "Tell me what I should do."

That took Danu aback. "What you should do? Mila... your husband has become one of the most dangerous things in this realm. Killian took you away from him, and that makes Rumple even more dangerous." Danu pushed back some hair as she took a few steps away to collect her thoughts. "His power consumes him, yes, but it also makes him strong, confident and able to best the best. Even Killian. Rumpelstiltskin is not someone you want to trifle with." She spun around to face Mila once more, concentrating as if using her abilities to find an answer. The look on Mila's face told her that the woman needed something, not just guidance. She went up to Mila and looked deep in her eyes, not daring to look away in her concentration. "Mila... one will die today. Rumpelstiltskin has come to claim his due... One will die, but it will not be the dark one." she said ominously.

Mila gasped. She couldn't let her love die, not like this. Not by _his_ hands. There must be something that could save him, and she asked Danu exactly that.

"You know what he wants... you have what he wants. Use that to save your loves life. But know that no one can escape their fate. One will die... and the others life will never be what it was." Danu consulted, giving Mila a faint smile of compassion.

Quickly thinking about it, Mila nodded and smiled back. "You're right. Thank you." she said and dashed below decks to grab what she needed.

After watching the woman sprint off the ship and into town, Danu calmly went below decks herself and gathered her things. None of the other pirates tried to stop her as she walked across the deck to the plank and off the ship. Most of them kept their distance, wanting nothing to do with her witchery. Which was all fine and good with her. She had accomplished what she had set out to do, and had some fine adventures while she directed those plans. Now was time to move on. As Danu got off the ship, she smiled in satisfaction. "Hope you like my gift, Rumple." she said softly before vanishing within the town.

~. ~. ~.

_Storybrooke_

Again, Hook gave her an assessing look. "You didn't happen to have anything to do with Mila's death, did you love?" he heard himself asking, struggling; even with his fatigue, to stand erect.

Danu grinned. "All I did was give her some advice. It was her decision whether or not to use it, and how." she replied, her last few words hardening. She stopped about a foot away from him. "She was always a bit of an impulsive woman."

His jaw visibly clenching, Hook looked down at her with all the intimidation he could muster. "Did you have something to do with her death?" he asked again.

"She knew that one would die that day, but she didn't listen. Not closely enough. It was not a matter of your life or Rumples, as she thought. She cared not for Rumple so what did it matter if it was him. But I _told_ her it would not be him. No... It was between you and her. She was just too stupid to figure that out. That's why she died." Danu told him, pointing at him. "But if she hadn't interfered, than you would have been slain. I'm sure that was something Mila was not prepared to deal with."

"And I have lived in agony since, wench!" Hook exclaimed. "So –that croc may have dug out her heart and crushed it, but you may have as well pushed her into that fate." his voice became dangerous and a murderous gleam appeared in his eyes.

Danu just smirked. "And so now what? You declare vengeance on me as well? Do your worst, Captain! Kill me if you can. It will be a relief. You're not the only one who has lost who they are. To have become something they no longer recognize. The only difference between us, Hook, is that I have attempted to move past it. To let all the shit that's happened to me be a lesson. To be a catalyst. I am trying to make a difference for my own benefit and for the benefit of others. Vengeance is all well and good until you suddenly wake up and realize that you have just destroyed your own life as well as the lives of countless others in your pursuit. And there is no going back from that." She carried on, moving right up to him and getting into his face. "He may have killed your love, but between you and Mila, you messed him up completely and sent him on the road to his destruction. Because she couldn't be honest with him and couldn't accept him for what he was and what he had to sacrifice to be with her and Balefire. And then you humiliate him further and expect nothing from him in backlash when he becomes powerful? You were disillusioned. Your lies caught up with you." In her righteous anger, she pushed him and Hook fell hard to the ground, having not anticipated her movements or the force in which she pushed him. "You're not in Neverland anymore, Captain... it's time to grow up."

Still very angry, but feeling that anger simmer as he looked up from the ground at this woman he knew barely anything about, Hook began to feel truly beaten. "Who are you?" he asked earnestly.

Sighing, Danu held her hand to him. "My real name is Danuela. But for a very long time, I was called Morrigan LaFey." she told him and got the look of astonishment she was looking for.

"Morrigan?" He eyed the offered hand suspiciously. "The witch of Camelot?"

Danu laughed. "Yes. I was banished to the Enchanted Realm a very long time ago. Just a couple years before I joined your crew for my short stay." She told him. She retracted her hand when it was clear he was not going to take it. "So know I speak the truth when I say I know vengeance. And worse... betrayal... I know the feeling of having your heart yearn for something, or someone, so hard you think it's going to explode, and know that yearning may come to nothing, because it is not meant to be. I know what it's like to believe one deserving of one's obsession only to be thwarted each and every time. And so that cycle continues until the madness has warped into something destructive and black. All that is left is misery... and spreading that misery." While she ranted, her eyes seemed to become unfocused as she was taken back to her darkest moments. Moments she wished she could take back, but it was far too late. Then she snapped out of it and held out her hand once more to Hook. "Yes, I had a hand in Mila's death, but it was inevitable I'm afraid. And I owed him too much not to help it along."

Hooks dark eyes widened. "You owed Rumpelstiltskin?" he asked in half disgust and half abolishment.

"Yes... but that debt was never in writing." Danu replied with a shrug. "He saved my life... in some ways more than once."

Hook braced himself up on his elbows. "And, love, do you still have this sorry excuse of a debt with that wretched creature? Are you now going to kill me for him as well?"

Danu knelt down beside Hook, taking his measure as she did. Her eyes met his and the link was established. "No. I know it's hard to live, Hook. But I'm afraid no one here wants you dead... at least enough to actually see you dead. But if you keep on going on like this, that may become a different story." She told him honestly. Danu held out her hand a third time and smiled as genuinely as she could. "Are you done now?"

Seconds past as they stared each other down. Then, with a sigh borne of travelling miles across this wretched land, mostly on foot, Hook took Danu's hand and let her help him up as she stood. "It seems we are at an impasse at the very least, at the moment anyway." Hook admitted

"Yes, we are." Danu nodded. "

Hook sighed and grimaced at the news. "What now?"

Danu grabbed her bag and satchel before going back up to Hook. "Now... unfortunately, I need to put you someplace safe." she put a hand on his arm and suddenly a large plume of red smoke enveloped them.

When it cleared, they found themselves in very outskirts of town, within the shrubbery not ten meters from one of the roads out of the Storybrooke town line. Danu looked back at Hook and took a step, then two away from him. "We'll see each other again, I'll warrant, but until then, I'm going to give you chance to hedge your bets and take a long walk. And while you walk, I want you to think. What do you want Hook? You can't have Mila back, and you no longer should peruse Rumpelstiltskin. Find another purpose, Captain."

At first Hook looked surprised. He looked at the Storybrooke sign for a long moment before turning back to Danu. "I don't have much choice, do I?"

Danu shook her head, albeit sadly; which was odd in Hooks perspective.

Hook puffed himself up slightly, though winced when one of his still healing injuries protested. He gave her a nod and then proceeded to make his way beyond the town line, where no one from Storybrooke could follow him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

When Danu got back to her small house, she found it still dark and empty. That was funny… Belle should have found her way back by now. Perhaps the hospital tests took much longer than either of them guessed. Danu wondered if she should call, but before she could make her way to where she left her phone, her doorbell rang. Uncommonly surprised, Danu went to her door and opened it. Her surprise rose higher when she saw Gold standing on her doorstep, cane in front of him, dressed in his business nines. Danu blinked and leaned against the doorframe. "Rumple. I wasn't expecting you. What's up?"

"Regina is what's up." Gold answered briskly and let himself in.

Oh great; she forgot to tell Rumple about her new roommate who was due any minute now. With a long sigh, Danu closed the door and followed Mr. Gold to the living room, where he had planted himself on the edge of one of her couches. "What has that pesky narcissistic woman done now?" she asked; her aggravation showing through her tone.

Gold grimaced. "She's done something to Belle."

Despite herself, Danu felt her ire rise at his words. "What?" Was all she could get out.

He seemed pleased at her reaction and gave her a grateful smile. "Apparently she helped Belle jog her memory. Thing is, it's her cursed memory." He gave a disgruntled sigh.

Danu gave a sigh of relief, though the situation still sucked, it could have been far worse. "Okay." Danu crossed over and sat beside him. "So we just need to keep to the original plan. Remind her of how she feels about you. Perhaps it'll be like how David was still able to feel love for Snow even though he regained his cursed memories." She suggested. "We just need to give her the chance to resurface those emotions." Danu tucked one of her thumbs in between her teeth in a thinking pose.

Gold, however, had his own abrupt thought. He stood up suddenly and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Danu asked. "You just got here."

Once the door was open, Gold turned back to Danu. "To talk to someone who can actually help." He said before shutting the door behind him.

Danu sat there for a moment, stunned. What did he mean by that?

~. ~. ~.

After almost a full two days, Danu didn't hear or see either Belle or Gold, though she had hoped that Gold would keep her in the loop. Loosing Belle had caused Danu to be inexplicably depressed. They had been on their way of becoming good friends, only to have Regina interfere and ruin everything.

Then Gold had left a message for her while she had been out, inviting her for drinks at _The Rabbit Hole_. It had confused her; Gold wasn't a pub person at all. Perhaps a gentleman's club man, but not a pub crawler. She had a mind to refuse; to see how he felt to be ignored and forgotten, but her curiosity won out and Danu called him back to confirm time and date.

As Gold had asked, Danu waited at the entrance to _The Rabbit Hole_ later that night. She had been waiting for some time when, frustrated, she turned to leave and stopped short. Gold had not changed one ounce, but she knew right away that he was different. Beside him, Belle was dressed to the nines in provocative bar wear. Her makeup and jewellery screamed bad girl. And it seemed Gold didn't mind the change.

Something deep within Danu stirred, but she pushed it down; glad that she had the ring that suppressed her magic. "What's going on?" She couldn't help gawk at Belle; she looked like an entirely different person. In fact, once the two women met each other's gazes, Danu knew this wasn't Belle.

Gold smiled. "Danu, I'd like to introduce you to Lacey. Lacey, this is Danu, an old friend of mine."

Lacey gave Danu a once over as well, then gave her an odd look. "I've met you before, haven't I?" She asked. "You visited me once, and after I had a dream that you summoned a fairy." Lacey grinned and shook her head. She also shook both her hands before holding out one for Danu. "It's so nice to see you again."

Danu smiled automatically back and shook her hand. "Glad to see your memory has come back... Lacey." Danu had an unsettling feeling about this turn of events. "Would you mind going in and getting us a table and drinks, I just need to ask Gold something real quick."

"Sure." Lacey put her thumbs in the pockets of her too tight jeans. "What's your poison?"

Gold shrugged. "I think I'll take a nice brandy." He answered.

Hiding a grimace, Danu thought for a mere moment. "Perhaps a Long Island to start and perhaps some shots." She told her. Danu seriously felt the need to have alcohol now though she hadn't let herself get drunk in ages.

Lacey smiled and her eyes sparkled wickedly. "Right on. Don't be too long." She gave a half wave before entering the pub.

Then Danu rounded on Gold. "What the hell? I thought you were going to try to get her to fall in love with her to get Belle back... Not... Not... Whatever the hell it is your doing."

Shifting his stance, Gold gave her a patient look. "I don't need to answer to you, Danu. Neither does Lacey. The plan will still work. I know that this wasn't what you had in mind, but I ask that you give Lacey a chance. She still needs a friend which she says you offered to be. She wanted to meet you again for that purpose. Please, for me."

Damn it. Danu groaned softly and turned away for a moment. She steeled herself before turning back. "Fine. I'll give Lacey a chance." She told him.

Gold suppressed a knowing grin. "Thank you. Now let's go in and try to have a good time." He said, though his idea of a good time didn't involve pubs.

Together they went in and found Belle-Lacey at the bar waiting for them. She handed Gold his glass of brandy and held out a small shot to Danu. "Have one now with me?" she asked.

Pursing her lips, Danu nodded and took the shot glass. At the same time, both girls threw back and drank the alcohol. Danu sighed, half in relief and half with lingering frustration. She took a stool and leaned over the bar. The shot wasn't doing its work, so when her Long Island was put in front of her, she took a long pull.

Both Lacey and Gold were grinning at her. "So... your Gold's friend? I guess that makes you pretty bad ass yourself." Lacey implied.

"What?" Danu asked, looking from Lacey to Gold.

"Come on." Lacey chuckled. "From what I have heard about Gold here, to be his friend, you must have quite the past angst yourself. Have you seen him beat the crap out of someone?" she asked, grinning with ill concealed delight.

Gold placed his drink on the bar, giving Danu an indecipherable look while she blinked and tried to find something to say to that. "Ah, yes. She was quite ruthless back in the day." He said pointedly, not really liking the stern look Danu was giving him.

"Was?" Lacey pouted, but she seemed to get it, when she "first" met Gold, he was trying to pass off as a goody-goody. Perhaps Danu was doing the same to keep from jail time and the like. But that wasn't fun and interesting. "Come on, Danu. Loosen up a bit. Have some fun."

Gold, after giving Lacey a knowing smile, came up to Danu, close enough to whisper in her ear. "Yes, Danu. You know how hard it is to be good. Now's your chance to relax. To be bad, Danu. After so long holding yourself back, won't it be a relief to let go? Be who you really are?" Gold shifted to her other ear, practically surrounding her. "Enough is enough. You think going through this life half alive will get you anywhere? You're just as alone as you were when you were cursed as a shut in. Unleash yourself, Danu, and everything you could ever want can be yours." while he spoke, one of his hands carefully went to her own and slowly slid the silver ring off her finger. "How else are you going to be able to control your magic? This ...this is the easy way to deal with it, time to take a more difficult path." he said before she could pose a protest. "Practice makes perfect." he finished, moving away to take his drink in hand as he pocketed her ring.

Danu glared. "I hate that saying." she told him. When another shot was filled for her and Lacey, she drank with Lacey. Unfortunately, Danu was still currently a lightweight and was already feeling the alcohol.

Lacey herself didn't seem perturbed by Gold's closeness to Danu; if anything she took an encouraging stance. Lacey laughed, already a bit giddy.

There was something definitely alluring about just giving up. When Danu looked down to look at her half drunken glass, her eyes caught sight of her bare arms; thin lines of rune script were crawling up towards her wrists. She felt Lacey cross over to her opposite side and lean back on the bar. "It's time to get back to your wild side, I think." She said, having a sip of another drink she'd ordered. "You only live once. And a beautiful girl like you, Danu, you can have your pick of any guy in this bar." She said, gesturing to the bar as a whole.

Danu smirked and turned so her back was to the bar as well, while trying to hide the markings of the Morrigan. The bar was already busy, with music blaring, people dancing and everything seemed to take on a surreal feel.

With a cute smirk, Lacey put down her drink and took Danu by the hand. "Come on, I love this song." She said as a good, thumping and energetic song came on. She was delighted when Danu went with her willingly to the dance floor.

Thus the night progressed and Danu was able to get herself thoroughly drunk, but with that came lowered inhibitions and less restraint. Near the end of the night, Danu had wrangled a tall wiry ginger; to which the rest of the evening was a blur.

~. ~. ~.

Until the morning.

Consciousness came slowly the next morning. Danu struggled up into a sitting position, still barely awake and feeling a bit miserable. She was in her own bed, alone. Her clothes were strewn across her room but otherwise everything was still in order. Then Danu looked at her hand and noticed that her ring was no longer there.

Then came the flashes. All she could make of them was what appeared to be scratch marks, chains, blood, and lips sewn shut. Danu caught her breath, the images suddenly coming together to form a gruesome memory. "Oh gawd." She breathed and bolted to her adjoining bathroom and made it to the toilet before her nearly empty stomach fully emptied itself very violently.

Once she had pulled herself together, Danu wrapped her robe around herself tightly and rushed down to her basement to the utility room. When she got there, she stopped short and gasped.

He was hung like a meat in a cold locker, looking more like shredded meat than a person. He, or rather now, it, was naked and covered with blood soaked cuts made with sadistic precision.

These were the only things Danu would allow herself to notice as she went and checked for a pulse. Even as she did, she knew she wouldn't find one. She backed away, but wasn't able to run back up the stairs and away from the horrific scene. Danu found herself on her knees on the cold concrete floor trying not to hyperventilate. The moment she got herself in control, Danu looked to see the phone in her hand.

Danu looked at it for a long moment. Wondering what to do.

~. ~. ~.

_Avalon_

Over lakes, plains, forests and hillsides; on the outskirts of the kingdom, high in the mountain steppes was a dark and foreboding castle delved into the rock wall. It was fortified by hardened guards with sharp piercing gazes. No words were exchanged between anyone; it was only the battlements and the defense of the castle on everyone's mind.

Near the top of the grandest tower was a large balcony where the captain of the guard stood upon, watching over the battlements with a thoughtful expression. He was a tall hard man with seasoned eyes. His armor was shiny plate and chain with crimson and violet tunic and trimming.

From within the tower, across his Lady's quarters, she exited from the Morrigan's interrogation room. Morrigan herself was pristine in her satin gown of emerald green. She kept her hair down, preferring it that way as she liked how her white locks cascaded down her back and flared to her shoulder when she turned. As she removed her leather gloves that were the only things stained in dark blood, her Captain entered and she gave him a welcoming smile. "That was delightful fun, thank you Lucus."

Captain Lucus tilted his head respectively. "You're welcome, Lady Morrigan. I hope he was also informative."

As Morrigan strolled to her dresser, she gave a languorous shrug. "It took some cracking, but he eventually spilled and told me everything I wished to know." She glanced over her shoulder at him and fluttered her eyelashes. "He persisted in his silence for a long while, though. Made for some satisfactory sport." She gave him a wide smile. Her gloves dropped to her low dresser and she picked up a lotion bottle to use on her hands.

"And?" he urged, trying not to be too impatient in his wish to make sure this castle and especially his Lady were far from harm.

"Your concerns are warranted, I'm afraid." Morrigan told him with a sigh as she rubbed her hands together. "That wretch is an advanced scout for his Highnesses Royal Army." She grimaced. "They will be here within a few days; sooner if they push ahead." She turned around to face him abruptly. "Ready your men and have the castle prepare for a siege. We will not bow down to King Arthur. Send men to the passes as well to give us advanced warning of the army." She ordered.

Lucus bowed. "Your will be done, my lady." He said and started out of the room.

"And have someone come and clean up the mess. He has given me everything I need and more." Morrigan added, gesturing to the room she'd come out of. When her Captain had left, she went to the balcony and gazed out over the tall mountains of her small rule. She clasped the edges of the wall and finally let her guard down. The atrocities were beginning to have an effect on her; after years of being numb, she was suddenly getting sick of it all. But she didn't know how to stop.

~. ~. ~.

_Storybrooke_

Danu took the phone firmly in her hand and dialed three numbers and put it to her ear. In her other hand, she summoned something else which she grasped just as firmly. "Yes, hello." She said when someone picked up. "You need to come to my house right away. Something has happened."

~. ~. ~.

Danu sat on the cot silently, not really knowing what to say or to think. She hoped she had done the right thing. A hand absently went up to her throat to fiddle with the aged amulet that hung from the chain. The leather strap had long since worn away and broke, but the amulet was just as beautiful as it was when it was given to her. The lines just as crisp and the magic just as strong. Her finger drew the contours of the small passages of the spherical maze. The tiny labyrinth that had convinced her of a choice she had had to make so long ago.

~. ~. ~.

_Avalon_

The siege had already lasted many days and yet both sides were not close to yielding. Both had magic on their sides as well as the tools of warfare. Morrigan's Captain was good at his job. The castle was stocked and ready to outlast this nuisance.

But Merlin's war machines were making quick work of their own ballistae and had crumpled many walls. The resulting melees had been hard won but had cost Morrigan dearly.

Yet the standstill remained.

Morrigan was in her "throne" room when her Captain approached her. She had been pacing, wondering and waiting for something to break; for something to show her which side would prevail. She stopped and looked up at him expectantly. "Well? What has happened?" she asked, perhaps sharper then she needed to speak. She couldn't afford to seem weak or worried now, not when she felt her victory was so close.

Lucus gave her a short bow. "My lady, you have a visitor who wishes to speak with you in parley. Would you hear him or would you like me to throw him in the stockade?"

Frowning, Morrigan thought for a moment. "Who does this man think he is? Asking for a parley in the middle of a siege? Who is he?"

At that, Lucus shifted nervously. "He says he is your father."

That caught her off guard. Her father, here? What was Arthur and Merlin playing at? Or was this just a decoy while they planned their next attack? Well, she would find out. "Send him in, Captain. Let's see if he is who he says he is." She said, standing straighter.

While Lucus went to fetch their visitor, Morrigan swept the layers of gown aside and strode over to her seat. She found that she was oddly nervous about having her father see her this way, but that could not be helped. Captain Lucus returned, and behind him, walked a man who couldn't be anything else but her father. Lord Wyette stood just as tall and straight as she remembered. His hair was greyer than she recalled and there were more lines on his face, but this was her father. Forgetting herself, Morrigan stood back up and rushed to her father. "Father!" she sighed happily when he took her in her arms in a tight embrace. She had missed her father; remembering how she used to feel when she saw him as a kid: with loving pride and daughterly affection. "What are you doing here?" she asked when they separated.

Lord Wyette couldn't help but beam down at his daughter. It had been so long. She was so much more different from the girl he knew and loved; her eyes were harder and there was darkness in her soul where there was once light and color. "I've come in hopes to end all this." He admitted to her.

One eyebrow shot up. "Is Arthur willing to yield?" she asked, greatly doubting it, knowing the Kings stubbornness; and considering the damage done by both sides over the years. The slights and schemes.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid the King doesn't know that I have come here."

"The King didn't send you?"

Wyette shook his head.

Morrigan scoffed. "Then why are you here?"

Lord Wyette placed one hand firmly on one of her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "To try to get my daughter back." He said as his other hand dug into one of his jacket pockets. When he brought it back out, it was holding the necklace that Jareth had given her. "I came to give this to you. You left it at our castle." He held it out to her.

What did an old necklace have to do with getting her back? Pausing for just a moment, Morrigan reached out and took the maze-amulet into her palm. As she gazed at it, it was suddenly like she got jolted by lightning. She remembered everything. The labyrinth, her father, her mother and her mother's curse. What her dreams were before she had become the Morrigan right from under Merlin's nose –driven by passion, magic and dark fates. It all unraveled for her within her minds eyes. The obsession she thought was love that had just as easily turned to hate at Arthurs brutal rejection. Then it was if whatever had numbed her had been turned to ash. Suddenly she felt everything. Every death, every lie and every emotion of the last few years leading to the present. Her heart suddenly ached very painfully, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees on the cobbled floor. She felt her father kneel beside her, after snapping at her captain to back off.

Her father cupped her face in both hands and made her look up at him. "I forgive you." He whispered. "But now it has to stop."

Danu took a shuddering breath. "I don't know how." Her very demeanor had changed. There were tears in her eyes and she couldn't seem to get enough breath.

Wyette smiled kindly down at his daughter. "You can start by coming with me without a fuss, to the King and Merlin. You must face judgement."

Closing her eyes hard, Danu was still fighting the battle with her darker self. No… there needed to be no more. That path would only lead her to ruin and loneliness, she could see that now. It must all stop. When she opened her eyes and looked at her father once more, she had made her decision. "I will." Danu looked up at her Captain. "Tell the men to stand down." She told him. When he left, she took out an object she had carried around with her since creating her army and settling here. It was a charm to make sure her subjects were loyal to her, no matter where their loyalties actually lay. With both hands, and before she could change her mind, she broke it in two.

~. ~. ~.

_Storybrooke_

When Danu heard people enter, she stood up and went to the bars of her cell. Sheriff Swan was back from gathering the evidence of her latest murder. "Have you notified his family?" Danu asked.

Emma sighed as she put her keys and a few other items on one of the desks before approaching. "It turns out he didn't really have any. He was a bar hopper with no real ties to many people beyond one night stands." She gave Danu a searching glance. "According the bartender anyway. ...No one would have missed him."

Danu closed her eyes and leaned her head against the bars.

"Who are you?" Emma asked, her voice hard with an authoritative "sheriff" attitude. "Really?"

Swallowing hard, Danu opened her eyes and looked up at Emma. One hand was still at the amulet, but she didn't bother to remove it. "Hasn't Henry told you?" she asked.

Emma sat down on the nearby couch. "Yes. And I went over the book you gave him when I had some spare time." She tilted her head, looking slightly guilty. "I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything too… gruesome in it for him."

Danu rolled her eyes. "You can't keep him innocent forever, Sheriff. Henry will grow up and find his power. We all do." She said with a sigh.

"I know that." The other woman gave Danu another hard look. Beyond the demeanor, Emma looked tired; though few would be able to see it. "You're Morrigan LaFey… aren't you?"

After a brief moment, Danu nodded her head slowly.

"You were obsessed with King Arthur. You caused Lancelot to be banished… and to be killed." Emma went on.

Danu had to scoff at that. "Lancelot made his own decisions. If he was really so noble, he would have ignored my attempts to push him and Gwenievere together and moved on. He isn't some selfless knight or Prince… so don't make him out to be one." She was tired of feeling guilty about Lancelot; she had her own shit to think about now.

"You killed people."

"Yes."

"And you've started again."

"No." Danu shifted, both hands gripping the bars now. "That was a long time ago. I turned myself in. That's how I was 'captured'. That's how Merlin was able to banish me when he banished Lancelot. Last night… …last night I made a mistake. I let my guard down. I let my other side take control. I... I never meant for it to happen. I was drunk and frustrated and … you have no idea what it's like to be alone for as long as I have. To want to belong. To want someone to… to love who will love you back. The latter is never going to happen, it can't happen. So here… after I got my memories back... I hoped to get a fresh start. ...It hasn't been going well." She added with a rueful expression.

Emma didn't say anything for a long moment while she looked at Danu.

Danu sighed. "You ask who I am, Emma… I used to be the Morrigan. But before that I was a girl who had been born of two magic's. My mother was Morrigan before me. My father…." Again, her hand automatically reached up to clutch her necklace. "He was half faery."

"What?" Emma's eyes grew wide. "I thought they couldn't—."

"No… not the fairies that were brought here… different fairies. Much different." Danu chuckled, but lapsed back into a thoughtful frown. "I am lost now."

Emma got up and paced for a moment. "That does not mean you can get away with what you did."

Danu nodded. "I know. But pardon for me for pointing this out… what is it you're going to do? I can't leave Storybrooke to go to prison, and you can't keep me here."

"That's certainly an interesting conundrum." Said a familiar voice at the end of the room, by the doorway. And of course there stood Mr. Gold. He gave both women a smile and approached slowly. "For whatever transgression our dear Danu has committed, Miss Swan, I would gladly pay her fine and her bail."

Sheriff Swan gave Gold an astonished but disbelieving look. "Really? And why's that, Gold? I didn't peg you for random charity. Especially lately."

Gold chuckled. "Oh, Danu and I go way back. So this is a favor for a friend."

"If only it was that simple." Emma remarked.

One of his eyebrows went up. "How's that?"

"Rumple." Danu got his attention. "I don't think you quite understand why I am in here." She couldn't help but feel betrayed and misdirected by this man. Danu wasn't sure if she would even be willing to let him post her bail; even if Sheriff Swan agreed to let her go.

"Why… I assume you got a bit carried away by a night of drinking last night. I know you can get a bit rambunctious when left to your own devices." He smirked, still looking smug and confident. He seemed so certain he knew Danu's dark side, when in fact, he had never met the Morrigan; only heard stories. He had no idea what he had encouraged last night.

Emma gave him a sidelong look before telling him. "She killed someone last night. In her own basement." She said calmly, as if discussing the weather.

Mr. Gold blinked and then cleared his throat. "Well… that is rather more than I had been expecting."

"Sheriff, can we have a moment alone?" Danu asked abruptly.

"Sure." Emma said readily, giving them both one last look before grabbing her coat and going outside.

When they were alone, Danu gave Mr. Gold an angry glare. "This is all your fault!"

"Mine? Last I knew, I was nowhere near your house last night. I don't remember telling you to kill anybody." He argued, still a bit off put but stood his ground.

Danu made a face. "No, you only insisted on letting the Morrigan out to play. Do you have any idea how bad of an idea that was?" she asked, wincing as her hangover throbbed at her temples. "You say you have heard the stories, but I don't think you quite get it, Rumpelstiltskin." She said scornfully. Danu looked over to where the developed pile of photos were and concentrated on them. After a moment, they vanished and appeared in her hand. She thrust them at him. "Take a look, Rumple. See what the Morrigan does when she is bored and wants to have some play time."

Mr. Gold took the pictures and went through them. He went slightly pale at a few of the pictures, but didn't otherwise show any outward emotion. In fact, the void of emotional show told Danu that he was surprised at the results of his experiment last night. After, he went over to the nearest desk and put the pictures on it with a slight thud. For a moment, he just looked into space, trying to find the right thing to say. Then he looked back at her. "I've seen worse." His voice was low and utterly unconvincing.

With a sigh, Danu shook her head. "Those pictures don't tell the whole tale then. Of what I remember..." Danu couldn't finish and shivered. She focused back on Gold. "I want my ring back."

"And what would I get in return for giving it back to you?" he asked with predictable flare.

Danu rolled her eyes. "Rumple… remember that promise I gave not to hurt Belle?" When he nodded she continued, pushing her face against the bars. "The Morrigan won't keep that promise. Because that is not Belle. Your new girlfriend is called Lacey. And if I thought she would get in the way of some fun or between me and something I wanted... So if you don't want my sadist to creep back out… you will give me my ring."

"Didn't you say that you made other rings?" he asked as he slowly made his way back to the cell.

In a fit of frustration, Danu kicked the bars. "I want that one." She insisted.

Just as he reached the bars again, suddenly his hand shot out and clasped around Danu's neck. "And what makes you think threatening me will get it back?" he asked, his voice now harsh but still deadly quiet.

One of her hands went to the hand now choking her while her other gripped the cell bar. Unexpectedly, she kicked her leg out between the bars, hitting both cane and the inside of his knee on his bad leg. She used all her strength and power into that one motion, and heard a slight crack for her effort.

With a short cry of pain, Mr. Gold let her go and fell to the floor, clutching his knee.

Meanwhile, Danu regained her breath and slid to the floor as well. There were tears in her eyes now. She coughed when her lungs spasmed. "Gold… please… when you said that I should be who I really am… you had it wrong. This is who I am. The Morrigan is not. That part of me is dangerous and will destroy everything. Until I can contain it or get rid of the power of the Morrigan… it's too dangerous to let loose. If you really wish for me to be who I really am… you will give me my ring and let me do this my way." She coughed again. "Please."

As she spoke, Gold re-gathered himself as well and despite himself, slid over to Danu.

Danu rubbed her neck, leaning against the cot behind her with a desolate look on her face. "I know you think you're trying to free me... but there's nothing for me on that road. Only death." Danu removed her hand and it went to her thigh with a slap. "I may not know where I am right now... but I know one thing for certain." She looked over at Gold, who was now sitting with his injured knee straight alongside the bars, one hand clutching the bars and the other kneading his kneecap. She looked at him with little emotion left inside her, for what she had to say next made her too sad. "I don't think I can be your friend anymore, Rumpelstiltskin... not while you and Lacey are going bad." She looked at the ceiling. "Perhaps when you're done having this childish rebellion... but until then... It may be better if I let you two be for a while."

"Danu..." Gold whispered, getting her attention. He definitely felt that sinking feeling that this was his fault; she was right. She was also right for not wanting to be involved anymore; especially when the results were so grotesque. She hadn't allowed herself to follow her darker impulses for centuries; now he knew why. But he wasn't about to give up a gem like Lacey nor her acceptance to his own darkness for someone he truly couldn't relate to currently. Perhaps before Belle became Lacey, but not know. And Gold had the impression Danu knew that he needed to unleash himself and vent some frustration for a while. With a sigh, he gave her a small smile. "I wish you the best." And to his surprise, he meant it.

Smiling slightly back, Danu nodded. "Thank you. Sorry about your leg."

Gold scoffed and ran a hand over his knee, healing it.

"And yet you still walk with a cane." Danu shook her head. "It's a miss direction... isn't it?"

With a smirk, Gold nodded before turning back to her. "Our little secret." He dug into one of his suits inner pockets and when he brought it back out; it was holding her small silver ring with the amethyst gem. After a short hesitation, he straightened his arm and handed the ring back to her.

Danu quickly took the ring and put it on her finger. The relief of not having to concentrate to make sure her magic didn't go off unexpectedly or do something she didn't want it to do, was apparent the moment the ring was on. Her muscles relaxed visibly and she allowed herself a true smile of satisfaction. Her headache even abated now that she wasn't clenching her jaw. She once again looked at Gold who was struggling back on his feet. "Can we part on even terms?" she asked.

Now standing, Gold straightened his tie and jacket. He gave her question some thought before looking down at her. "You know... I think we can. I've lost track of who is ahead at any rate." He said, joking slightly.

Danu smirked and stood as well. "Thank you."

Gold started to leave, but then turned back around suddenly. "Are you sure you don't my help to get you out? Legally I mean?"

"I'll be alright." Danu assured. "Have fun." She said; there was a lightly sarcasm to her tone.

With one last nod, Gold turned around and walked out of the Sheriff's office.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When Emma had came back in a few minutes later, she went up to the bars. "I have a question."

"I'm sure you do." Danu sighed. "What would you like to know?"

Emma leaned against the bars, looking straight into Danu's eyes. "What made you stop the last time?"

At that, Danu's hand immediately went to her necklace. That was a loaded question for her, for in hindsight, there seemed to be many things that had attributed. The most important of which was the reminder of who she was. "My father." She answered simply.

"Your father?" It was clear Emma didn't know what to think about that.

Danu chuckled. "Of course the story in the book would leave out exactly how I came to be in Merlin's custody... probably said they defeated me..." she mumbled.

Emma's eyebrow shot up. "You've never read it?"

Shaking her head with a sigh, Danu sat on the cot. "Why would I? I know my story." She said offhandedly.

"So how did your father stop you?"

Danu smiled, remembering. "He gave this back to me." She said, indicating the mini maze dangling just under her collarbone.

Standing up straight and crossing her arms, Emma shrugged. "And what's that?"

"Something a boy gave me a very... very... _very_ long time ago. When I was a little girl. It holds wild faery magic. Magic that I was born with and would have some day learned alongside him."

Emma took a deep breath. "I take it that didn't happen."

Danu shook her head. "I had an ambitious mother. Not unlike Cora, actually." She mused with a twist of her lips in a look of incredulity.

With a shudder, Emma shifted to sit on the arm of the nearby couch. "So that's it? Your father gave that to you and you just... what? Snapped out of it?"

"No... not really." Danu slumped back, looking for words to describe just how profound the magic in the necklace caused her to come back to herself, breaking the influence of her dark curse. "When you let dark magic run the way you do things... how you think... it takes something especially... powerful and full of meaning to snap you back out of that mentality. I didn't even know my darker powers were influencing me until my father showed me."

"Okay..." Emma ran both hands through her long blonde hair. "And now?"

Danu paused. "I've already gotten rid of the unpredicted influence that could lead me back down that road." She sighed. "But if that isn't enough... there is something I can show you." When Emma looked at her with interest, Danu reluctantly took off the ring she just got back. "When I was captured, Merlin was able to block my magic ... all of it... from me using it with enchanted chains and cuffs. I recently reappropriated those chains and melted them down and created three rings with the metal." She held up the ring. "This one I can put on and pull off at will as long as it is with my free will." Danu explained and handed the ring to Emma. When Emma had the ring and was examining it, Danu concentrated and an ornate wooden box appeared in her waiting palms. A key appeared as well which Danu unlocked the box with. She took out the silver ring with the ruby and held that one up. "This one only impedes my dark magic, leaving my wild magic available to me, but this can only be removed by another person, while only I can put it on." She replaced the ring and took out the ring with the black diamond. "This blocks both, but it can be put on by me or another person and only taken off by another person; though honestly, they can only do so with my cooperation." Danu replaced that ring as well and handed the box to Emma through the bars.

Emma looked surprised to be given the box. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"So you can confirm the rings' abilities with... with mother superior..." Danu hid a smile, "And you can decide which one I will wear. After... the remaining rings will return to my custody."

"You expect to be let go." It wasn't a question; Emma knew what Danu was thinking.

Danu tilted her head to Emma. "Eventually. Remember, I turned myself in. Why would I do that if I planned to escape later?" she asked, as if reading another thought in Emma's mind. "but as I believe that is your only option ...well... that or punish me by wiping my memory to live out the rest of my days as a agoraphobic hermit... which I don't think you'll do..." she left rest unsaid.

Emma sighed. "Let me call Mother Superior." She breathed and got up and put the third ring inside the box to take with her to her office.

With that all sorted, Danu lay on her back to wait; all the while wondering what she was going to do once she was out again.

~. ~. ~.  
_Enchanted Realm_

The blue fairy gave a long sigh as she watched Dreamy walk solemnly away; off to break off the unexpected tryst with Nova. She cast a glance at the other dwarf before he too left to get back to the mine.

She had done what was necessary to insure her student did not make a terrible mistake. Blue liked Dreamy, but her kind couldn't stay here. They would lose their wings, their powers and their longevity. And Nova would not be able to accomplice her dream of becoming a Fairy Godmother. If Nova continued on this path with Dreamy, both their lives would be ruined.

It was something she could not allow to happen. No matter the consequence's.

She didn't know how long she floated there, her small wings flapping rapidly like a hummingbirds. But then she became aware that she was not alone. Blue slowly turned; in the shadows by a large tree, stood a caped figure. They were leaning against the trunk while whoever they were took in the rare sight of her kind. For some reason, Blue couldn't get a clear reading on who this could be, but could sense a restrained darkness as well as wildness about this individual that she had not encountered before. She tried to smile reassuringly. "Greetings wanderer. Have you been looking for something? Tell me and perhaps I may help."

Unable to help it, the figure smirked before pushing off from the tree and approaching. When they got closer, the face within the hood of the cloak became clearer. When they slipped the hood off, Blue found herself looking into fathomless dark eyes on a slightly travel worn face framed by thick white locks. "I am looking for something, fairy, but I don't think you could help me." came the slightly deep female voice in a, slightly bewildering, condensing voice.

Blue blinked, not knowing what to think of this stranger. "Then what do you want?" she asked, her friendly demeanor slipping slightly.

The woman shrugged. "To get an actual look at what passes as fairies here." she said as she moved slowly around the small fairy. "I don't like to give full credit to words. Seeing, as some would say, is believing."

"May I have your name?" Blue asked, definitely put off now. While the figure circled, she turned on the spot as well to follow the impudent creature.

The woman; young except in the eyes, smiled and gave a flourished bow that put Blue on edge. "My name is Morrigan, oh Blue Orb." she chuckled slightly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Morrigan added, though her tone implied otherwise.

Even as her face drained of color, Blue's ire was raised. She had not become one of the leading fairies of her kind to be mocked. "Morrigan Lafey."

"Good, you've heard of me."

Blue scoffed. "You're no fairy, _LaFey_."

Morrigan pursed her lips for a moment, though in amusement at Blue's pronouncement. "No... I am half faery. And not your kind of fairy, you can rest reassured."

That was news to her, but then, many stories that made it to her ears were not always very detailed, and were usually embellished. "What do you want?" she asked again.

This time the Morrigan paused to consider the question. "What do I want?" she asked herself, gazing through the tree tops to the sky above. After a moment she looked back at the shinning creature in front of her. "I want to go home, but that is not possible. So instead, I travel this world; learning its secrets and finding new tales and lands. I was in the neighborhood and felt your presence. And I was curious."

"I see." Blue studied the Avalonian more a moment. "You don't like us very much, do you?"

Morrigan knew what she meant. For a moment she allowed herself to really look at the fairy in front of her. Beyond the dust and elaborate style of dress -which she still felt was over the top and far too colorful -was a creature that was as close to a purely good power as one could get. Blue had her faults, but she was good. More than Morrigan could ever be; though she wasn't sure she wanted to be so goody-goody. "I wouldn't say that." She finally answered. "I just think your kind is a bit much. You're surreal... while my kin feel... a bit more real... they're not just godmothers and wish givers... their concepts of life. Both light and dark... love and hate. Everything that makes up life. They are the embodiment of nature, imagination... adventure. They can fit in any world. But you can't stay in most realms not your own for long..." Morrigan sighed. "You got the shit deal, in my opinion, and willingly." She tisked and turned towards the way she came. "I won't ever be able to reconcile your kind, I'm afraid. But don't worry, I don't intend to do much more than mock." she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Blue. "I'll stay out of your way if you'll stay out of mine."

Not knowing what to say, Blue merely nodded. Next thing she knew, she was alone in the forest. It was time to go, she had stayed here far too long. With that, Blue took to their clouds to venture back into her land.

~. ~. ~.

_Storybrook_

When the "Mother Superior" came into the Sheriff's office and saw Danu, she stopped in her tracks. She couldn't believe her eyes. For some reason, she had hoped this woman would have been left behind when they became cursed, but it appeared that she had been bidding her time. She turned to look at Emma. "Is she why I'm here?"

Emma nodded with an uneasy smile. "I take it you know each other?"

Blue looked back at Danu. "Yes. We've met."

Danu smiled a bit snarkily. "Hey there, Blue. Nice to see you've ditched the pastels." She couldn't help comment as she leaned against the bars. Apparently there had been no love lost there.

Ignoring her, Blue met Emma's eyes. "What is she doing here?" she asked, her voice turning a bit hard.

For a moment, Emma was silent; looking over at Danu for a moment before turning back to the head nun. "Look, it's not really important, what is, is that she can't stay here. And we don't have a place to keep her without sending her out of Storybrooke."

Blue's eyebrows rose. "Why not?" She asked. "Perhaps we should wipe her memory. I don't think you understand that this woman is dangerous."

"Hey." Danu objected. "I was on my best behaviour while I was in the Enchanted Realm... mostly. And that thing with the dwarf doesn't count... it really doesn't. I didn't know that the gem wasn't a real diamond either." She explained, giving the nun a sullen look.

Clenching her jaw, Mother Superior sighed heavily. She saw Emma was opposed to her idea at any rate. "Fine. Then what do you need me here for?"

Emma handed her the box with the three rings. "Danu said she made these to help contain her magic. I need you to verify exactly what they do. Can you do that?"

Blue looked taken aback as she automatically took the box. "Contain her magic? Why would she do that –why would you do that?" she asked, turning to Danu.

Danu did a half shrug, as her elbows were currently leaning against one of the horizontal bars. "Magic is different here. You know that... wait... not really considering you need a wand and fairy dust to work yours." She commented with habitual condescension. She cleared her throat. "Even though this world is said to not have any magic, it used to... it is also tied with a realm inhabited with some distant cousins of yours of all shapes, sizes, and natures. It has made using magic... for me... too easy and a bit chaotic. I needed to control it. That's why I made the rings. And as it turns out, I still remember how to smelt and smith." She explained with no small bit of pride.

For a moment the ex-fairy stared at Danu, blinking with astonishment. Then, shaking herself, she lifted the lid of the box and looked inside. She examined each ring from multiple angles while Emma explained what it was supposed to do. After she was done, she placed each ring in its own slit and handed it back to Emma. With a sigh, she wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. "Those do what she says they do. Now what?" she asked, much testier than was her want. There were reasons her fairy kind and Danu's were no longer on speaking terms. Not least of which was the wild faeries disdain towards the Enchanted Realm Fairies.

Giving Mother Superior a thankful smile, Emma turned to Danu. "I choose which one she will wear." She said simply.

"My vote is the black one." Blue solicited.

"Thanks." Emma said absently. She was looking into the box with a thoughtful expression. She was pretty certain Danu was telling the truth. Emma was also certain Danu wasn't someone she needed to worry about. There were other things she needed to worry about, and the more time she spent here, the more time her other worries would have to get worse. With a determined stride, she strode over to the jail cell. "I can't get you involved... can I?" she asked. Having someone who seemed just as powerful as Gold was appealing, but something was telling her that Danu was someone she would soon forget about.

Danu nodded. "I can't..." she wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. This day was becoming a plethora of emotional rides. It left her tired and a little put off.

Emma nodded and reached into the box.

When Emma brought out one of the rings, Danu gave her a surprised and confused look. "Are you sure?" she asked; it was an unexpected choice.

"Yea. Things may start getting hairy... I have things I need to do and I can't afford to watch after you as well. So I'm trusting you to be good to your word. If you slip again..."

"I know... I know." Danu nodded with a hopeful smile. "I won't... I promise."

Holding out her hand, Emma held out the silver ring with the amethyst in the clasp. "Then here."

Smiling, Danu reached over and plucked the ring from Emma's fingers. "Thank you." She said, holding out her hands for the box. Once it was in her hands again she vanished it with a subtle wave of her hand. Then she slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked up at Emma. "Now what?"

Emma was already getting her keys out and unlocked the cell.

"Emma!" Mother Superior couldn't believe what she was seeing. "You're not actually letting her go, are you?"

"What else am I going to do?" she asked with a slightly impatient tone. "There are worse things that I need to worry about right now. She's been honest with me as well as took responsibility for what she's done. She's free to go." Emma said. Her words had finality to them that even Mother Superior didn't question. The ex-fairy sighed, spun around and left the building.

One of Emma's eyebrows was raised. "What is it between the two of you?" she asked as Danu walked out and gathered her other more mundane possessions.

Danu chuckled. "I just have more loyalty to my faery kin then I do hers. I don't really respect her kind. I have my reasons. Don't worry... I would never harm them. Their like the younger sibling that one always teases and never really takes seriously."

"I don't have siblings..." Emma commented lamely; not knowing what else to say about that.

With a shrug, Danu gave her a parting smile. "I know. But you understand all the same." She gave Emma a wink and quickly left the station before she made any more disparaging remarks about the dust flinging glow bugs.

~. ~. ~.

The sun was almost low enough to hide behind the trees and buildings; the day was almost done. Much seemed to have happened in such a small amount of time. But that was what it was like most days now that the curse was lifted. Everyone scrambling about with their own ulterior motives and plans gone awry.

Such thoughts, and more, were going through his mind as Gold entered his shop that night after saying goodnight to Lacey, he failed to notice a pair of new eyes watching from a tree in the distance. The gold eyes of the white feathered owl watched sharply, patiently; following Gold's every movement. When the man disappeared into the building, the owl tilted its head slightly, hooted quietly and took off into the night.

~. ~. ~.

Danu hadn't been back at her house for more than five minutes before the doorbell rang. With a heavy sigh, she went to answer it. When the door opened, she found Lacey waiting on the other side. "Lacey?" she asked, a bit surprised to see her here.

Lacey looked as if she didn't know whether to be mad or confused. "Hi. Gold told me about magic. He showed it to me. And now I remember that the fairy wasn't a dream. We... you showed me the fairy grove you had made. After, we went to grannies." She spoke in a rush, and saw Danu nod silently. "You were willing to put me up in this house. ...but then... ...I remembered who I am... at least in this one life. And now... and now Gold says that you don't want to hang out with us anymore." She blurted out, putting her hands on her hips and pouting her lip slightly.

Damn it. Danu had to breathe in slowly and back out to calm herself before answering. "What exactly did Gold tell you?"

"Well..." Lacey hesitated. "Just that you had a rough night which got you put in a jail cell this morning." She told her, stilling looking at her as if she expected better from her. "I thought you had fun last night." She smiled. "You even got to hook up with a cutie."

Nodding, Danu uncrossed her arms that she had unconsciously crossed. "I see." She took a step forward onto her front patio, causing Lacey to take a step back. "So, you think that he and I just got carried away last night? That we got put in jail for... for whatever drunken stunts you think we pulled." She waited for Lacey to nod before continuing, meanwhile, taking another step forward. "That's not what happened."

Lacey gave her a confused look. "I don't understand."

"Gold told you about magic, about what he is?" she paused to let the other woman nod back. "Did he tell you about me?" This time Lacey shook her head. "That's probably because he didn't really know, that and he made me a promise. Whatever _stories_ you have heard about Gold… they pale in comparison to what I've done." Again she took one then two steps forwards, forcing Lacey to retreat. "My darkest moments were of chaos, destruction and pain. I lost myself completely to the darkness of my powers. I enjoyed making others my playthings; and I destroyed them utterly when I was done." Danu continued to advance until Lacey found herself up against a post. "That is what you wanted out last night, Lacey. That's what _did_ come out." Danu took a deep breath. "The stranger I took home… when I was done with his body, I took his blood. I spilled it until he told me things that even he did not know he knew. I relished his screams like an orgasm. At least until I wanted him to be quiet. Then… then I slit open his stomach… destroyed his body, then I cut his throat" She had to force the words out, swallowing a gorge that threatened to bring up the contents of her stomach. While incarcerated, the flashes had become clearer and the holes filled themselves in. She would have preferred not to see it all unfold.

As for Lacey, she was looking at Danu with a horrified look. Lacey was a temptress and badass, but deep down, she could never hurt someone it such a way that Danu was describing to her now.

When she had gathered herself, Danu looked back up. "I don't want to get between you and Gold… and I definitely don't want to hurt either of you. That means I can't be around you. You both are bad for me… at least right now." She allowed after an afterthought.

For a moment it looked like Lacey was about to throw a huff, but then thought better of it. "Fine." She said; her tone filled with hurt as well as anxiety. "Then I guess this is goodbye." She continued, her elegant accent breaking slightly.

Danu nodded. "Goodbye."

Lacey hesitated, looking at Danu as if deciding whether she should slap her, hug her or simply leave. The latter won out after a short inner struggle and the brown haired, blue eyed woman turned around the post her back was still against and hurrying down the long winding walk way to the driveway leading out of Danu's acreage.

Leaving Danu wondering if she had made the right choice. Could Gold handle that part of him again? Or would he spiral down into his own darkness?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Danu was catching up on some gardening in her massive yard when she felt the first ominous jolt run through the town. Heart thumping, Danu stood up slowly, abandoning her tools, gloves and sun hat. With a sense of deep foreboding, she went into her house to quickly grab a few items that she dare not leave behind and stuffed them into a satchel-purse before looping the strap across her chest and rushing back outside.

While her home was isolated, there was still a community around her. Danu couldn't allow her neighbors to be destroyed if she could help it. She ran to the nearest house and pounded on the door. The couple that answered were weary but seemed just as rattled at the erupt jarring of their world. "You need to get to the center of the town right away! The magic is failing and you need to get there before the forest takes this part back." she told them in a rush. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that the air was suddenly becoming lighter, and she could even feel the magic fading even with her ring on her finger. "Try to get as many people to go with you as you can." she instructed. After a moment of hesitation, her neighbors decided that she wasn't overreacting and rushed to get the others living in their house before taking to the streets and going door to door as well.

Danu rushed the opposite way to get to the next neighbor where she repeated her instructions. There were only a few who thought she was crazy, but she figured they would realize what was going on soon enough; the question was would it be too late for them when they did?

Soon enough, Danu herself was fast approaching the center of town with many others. That was when she spotted Gold and Lacey, heading for his shop. Gold had a look of depressed inevitability on his face as they neared the door. Danu suspected that his state of mind was a bit more pessimistic that usual; explaining his calm acceptance of the end of their world.

Danu hesitated before sprinting to them; reaching them just as Gold reached for the doorknob. For a moment all three of them just stood there, looking at each other. Danu didn't know how to say what she wanted to say; there was too much in a short span of time. So, without a word, Danu kissed both Lacey then Gold on the cheeks. Gold had unconsciously found her hand in one of his, also at a loss at the abruptness of their world making everything else irrelevant. Giving them a smile, Danu silently wished them luck before continuing her way towards the center of the town. She couldn't stay with them; Danu knew that, not until she had helped as much as she could.

A block or so from Grannies, Danu saw Ruby with a few of the dwarfs' in tow; they were directing other residents on while chaos continued to erupt. She headed for them when they saw her. "Is there a plan to keep everyone from becoming very much dead?" Danu asked Red with the abruptness of the doomed.

Red caught her breath. "I was told that David took Hook to get the beans back and Emma and Regina went to where the failsafe was activated." she blurted out, though Grumpy looked at her with slight disbelief. She could tell Danu was only slightly surprised at the mention of beans, but took the information in stride. "A bunch of us are meeting up with them at Grannies." Red hesitated. "Care to join us?"

Danu hesitated. "Uh... sure." she said. Hopefully, she could get a summary of what had been going on, as she had chosen to focus inward the last while.

Then another, much more potent, jolt swept through the town, nearly knocking everyone to their feet. Danu looked behind her to see that the buildings were starting to get covered with leaves and tree like vines were growing rapidly through the town.

"Come on." Red barked and led the way towards Grannies.

They had only taken a few steps when another quake moved the ground; and just as it did, a root sprouted across Danu's feet as she tried to run. She couldn't avoid it and tripped and fell to the ground, hitting her head hard on the concrete. The impact made her ears ring and every noise around her seemed to get turned down until she couldn't hear a thing. Everything is eerily quiet. Danu braced herself up with one arm as the other hand went to her head. It didn't feel like she had a gash, but she would have to be careful.

She stood up slowly and looked around; surprised to find that Storybrooke had vanished.

In its place, spanning miles in a valley below was a vast labyrinth. With no mere amount of confusion and trepidation, she looked about her and turned around to try to find the familiar town. Instead, there stood a man in refined leather and silk in a style that she could only describe as regal-punk. He was tall and wiry; holding himself with regal yet lazy grace. His dark brown hair was spiked up and framed solid cheekbones, a strong jaw and eyes of blue; sharp as steel which had a natural and unconscious allure. It was those eyes that told Danu exactly who this was. She would recognize them anywhere, anytime. This was Jereth. One of the Goblin Kings of this Faery Realm. Her old childhood friend.

Before either said a word, Danu spotted what looked like a shrinking portal-like hole floating in midair behind Jereth's imposing figure. It showed Storybrooke, still on the verge of destruction. Without thinking, she bolted for the portal, but Jereth caught her as she came up alongside him and held her tightly away from it.

"Those people can handle it without you." He whispered in her ear. His voice was neither malicious nor was it beguiling.

Danu struggled in his arms. "How do you know that?" Her mind brought up images of the people still there in Storybrooke who she wished to help; many surprised her.

Jereth tightened his grip and pulled her away. "Because even here, I know their stories... and they always find a way." As they both watched, the portal shrank smaller and smaller until it completely vanished, as if it never was.

Letting out a long breath she hadn't been aware that she was holding, Danu was disconcerted to find that she was of two minds about being taken and cut off from Storybrooke. Part of her was crushed; the other half was elated.

Unexpectedly, Jereth thrust her away from him and looked her over as she was gaining back her balance against a tree beginning its spring bloom. "You've seen more years than I expected." He told her, quickly adding, "It's all in your eyes." He walked ominously up to her, still looking at her with eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. "Nonetheless... You've forgotten about me."

Stunned, Danu realized that she had indeed forgotten. She had thought about him, but not enough to wish to be with him. The revelation made her feel slightly guilty. Though part of her wondered if that was the point of her mother's curse. "Sorry... Jereth. But things changed. I wasn't able to come back..." she would have said more, but he held up his hand. His expression ever stoic.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. I have searched many years for you. I have tracked you though the land of Avalon and to the Enchanted Realm. Only to find the place a shadow of what it should have been and told there was a curse. A curse that took you to a place our kin could no longer go." He explained as he paced in front of her, gesturing at her every now and then. He stopped abruptly in front of her, inches away; fortunately Danu was used to this tactic -Rumple used it often, so she didn't back away. "Then, several days ago, a fairy comes to me."

Danu could feel herself pale slightly; realizing what was coming.

"Thank you for finally making it easy for me to find you." He said with a sardonic smile, his arms crossing behind him and a fake smile crossed his lips before it vanished.

Steeling herself, Danu narrowed her eyebrows. "Why have you been looking for me?" she asked quietly.

Jereth studied her a moment before he answered her. "The Circle of Queens and Ladies would like to see you."

Automatically Danu's mouth popped open in surprise. She remembered her father talking about them; they were powerful beings of the Faery forest. There was one in particular; a matriarch of sorts and often was the one who would call those with potential to this place to be tested and trained. "Why do they… why does _she_ want to see me?"

With an unconcerned shrug, Jereth took a few steps back. "She did not tell me."

"Okay..." Flustered, Danu looked around her; her eyes lingering at the maze with a sense of foreboding. "How do I find her?"

"You have to get through the labyrinth first." Jereth answered, watching her with a look that implied she should have known. One of his hands made a sweeping gesture in the direction of his realms pride and joy.

A jaw muscle twitched before she nodded. "Of course." she said to herself.

Jereth smirked. "I wouldn't tarry, Danu. She doesn't like to wait, and you have made her wait a very long time." He advised as he backed away, giving her an over elaborate bow and faded into nothingness.

For a moment Danu simply stood there, looking in the direction that Jereth disappeared. Seeing him brought on mixed feelings; none of which were as intense as she thought they should be. It reminded her of the emptiness she felt after her mother cursed her. She hadn't even been able to bring herself to feel happy at seeing her father. And since that day, Danu had not once thought, seriously, about Jereth or coming here to learn her magic. That had been a day where everything had changed.

Shaking herself, Danu started down the hill towards the valley where the maze lay.

~. ~. ~.

It wasn't a very long walk to get to the foreboding walls of the labyrinth, but it had been a bit treacherous. On her way down to the valley, she couldn't seem to see any sort of entrance to the inside. How was she supposed to even get in? But as she made it down and crossed the last few meters between her and those high walls, Danu did noticed that there seemed to be a spot cleared of bushes and weeds. She went up to it and felt around the walls to see if the door was somehow hidden. She felt the hairs on her forearms stand on end as goose bumps formed. There was definitely magic here.

Danu looked down at her hand and the amethyst gem twinkled back at her. She wanted to take it off, but wasn't sure if the magic here would mix well with the addition of her mother's darker magic. Danu never remembered her mother using magic while they had been here on their visits; which she'd only noticed because it had been strange seeing her mother use other means to do and get things she wanted. Then she had an idea. Danu took off the ring and the small box containing the others appeared in her hands. She placed the amethyst ring in its place and took the ruby ring: the one that would, hopefully, only block the Morrigan's magic, not her fairy magic. She slipped it on and made the box vanish.

Danu had never tested this ring before now and she hoped the alchemical ingredients she'd added to Merlin's original enchantments mixed well. She put her hand on the bare wall and let the wild magic inside swell up within her. Opening her eyes that she had unconsciously closed while concentrating, Danu uttered one word with a clear and commanding voice. "Open."

From where her hand rested, there looked to be lines tracing away from her finger tips over the stone wall. The lines got more numerous and bold, crawling all over the surface until a great wooden door with a grand stone archway was etched and made real in front of her.

For a moment Danu could only stare at the doors. Then she suddenly giggled; a sound of release and wonder. Part of her mind hadn't thought that would work. With her hand still on the doors surface, Danu pushed and the thick door slowly swung open, revealing a long corridor lined with stone walls; open to the sky and bear to the elements. There were some trees and bushes that grew along the path, many had new buds beginning to grow on their boughs.

As Danu walked into the labyrinth, behind her the door swung closed again, and when she spun around, the door was once more a solid wall.

Well, that was that.

She began moving forward, through the straight path ahead; taking note of landmarks she could see over the tops of the walls as well as the position of the sun. Danu also kept an eye out for hidden paths she thought may lead her to her destination: King Jereth's castle, in the middle of the labyrinth.

After she thought she had gone on this path long enough; and swallowing no amount of anxiety; Danu stretched out her hands to run them over the walls as she walked, hoping that she didn't miss a path while searching one side. Soon it became apparent that that method would not work; it may take another use of magic.

Danu paused in her travel for a moment before digging in her satchel for a large journal like book. She turned to a blank page and set it down on the ground while she knelt over it. She scooped up a handful of the dirt-like sand lining the cobblestone path and sprinkled it over the open pages; all the while focusing on what she wanted the sand to show her. Before her eyes, lines appeared on the paper and travelled to the edges in a maze of lines and passages. It was a map; crude and sometimes difficult to read. It didn't show her a complete layout of the labyrinth, but enough of it so that she could get farther on her way. Near the far edge of her new map, she noticed that it showed an incline: a hill that probably overlooked the entire labyrinth. If she got to that, perhaps she could see the labyrinth in more detail and go from there.

It was a start.

Standing back up, Danu kept the book in her hands so she could find a likely path that would allow her access to the hill. There was one not too far away from her, a bit back from where she now stood. When she stood in front of where the path should branch off, she could not see it at first, but she did notice that one of the stones was a bit off color. Not knowing what else to do, she laid her hand on top of it and pushed as hard as she could.

She heard a click and a portion of the wall slid away, disappearing into its stony counterparts; though Danu could not see how, it was more like they vanished.

Now she saw that she was in the labyrinth proper; there were paths aplenty here. And so she sauntered on.

~. ~. ~.

The view from the top of the hill was nothing short of spectacular. Looking over the ancient elegance of the labyrinth seemed to bring a profound appreciation within her; the labyrinth was alive: it breathed, changed and adapted. It was wise and young at the same time. Playful, but also stubborn. It existed since the beginning of time and would continue to do so until time stopped.

Beyond the vastness of the maze. Danu could just make out the tree tops of an even vaster forest beyond; in another direction, she spotted the peaks of distant mountains, and in another direction, diverse plains that would eventually become a beautiful desert. Finally, in the fourth direction: King Jereth's castle. There was one high tower and several smaller ones; connected by parapets, and separated by gardens and courtyards. A noble estate in the middle of a thriving town around the protection of the labyrinth.

On the hill she now stood, was a large tree that provided enough shade for her to rest in. Danu would not tarry too long, for she had hours yet of available travelling light. But getting here had taken more time then she would have liked, as the labyrinth liked to shift and change. Danu hoped that as she continued on, she could decipher a pattern to these changes -if there even was one.

With the stunning view, Danu couldn't think of a better place to have a short snack.

As she got out a small granola bar, Danu felt the wind shift and she stiffened. "Checking up on me?" she asked, apparently to the air.

There was the ruffle of fabric and Jereth came into her view. "I wouldn't say that. Though, do thine eyes deceive me? Are you dallying?" he asked with an ill concealed sneer.

Danu sighed with exasperation. "It's been a long day... and that was before you scooped me up out of Storybrooke." she said, taking a small bite of her bar. "I'm hungry."

Jereth scoffed. Then suddenly he had her shoulders pinned to the trunk of the tree; the abruptness of the movement caused the granola to fall. "I came because I find myself immensely curious about why." He said, looking down at her with only a few inches separating them. "What could have been so important… what were you promised that would make you agree to go to the likes of Merlin for training instead of here?" His hands squeezed her shoulders, his hurt and frustration showing through.

For a moment, Danu could only stare up at him; at those enigmatic blue eyes. "You don't know?" she asked incredulously. Surely her father would have gone back to the land of his mother and explained the situation. But looking at her childhood friend, she saw the answer.

"What should I know, my dear Danuela?" he asked, slightly put off by her question but determined to get his own answers.

Closing her eyes, Danu tried to gather her thoughts. She had not allowed herself to think back on the moment her life went to her own personal hell. A moment of weakness and anger that had put Danu on her path; influenced all the while by her mother's curse. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remember. She looked up at Jereth and told him about that day; which had so far remained the knowledge of only herself, and her father.

~. ~. ~.

_Avalon_

Swishing the gown this way and that, Danu attempted to move within the confines of the new dress her mother had brought her. She had to admit, the figure in the full length mirror was a vision to behold. Skin naturally colored in dark honey peeked from the lacey neckline of the dark blue gown where young breasts filled the bodice. The dress tapered down over the slight curve of her waist to flare off again at her hips, cascading in silk and satin folds to the floor of the torch lit dressing room. Her hands went to her ribs under the full bodice. "Are you sure it must needs be so tight, mother? I can barely breathe." Danu commented while looking at her image at different angles.

"Then take smaller, lady like breaths and speak with a quiet demur voice." Her mother merely suggested, examining the details of the new dress. "Once you have caught the Prince's eye, you will be the leading trend setter for fashion in all of Avalon. This dress is sure to get you the Prince after we get to Camelot."

Danu frowned and turned from the mirror to face her mother. "But I thought I was going to the Faery lands to learn magic."

Morrigan scoffed. "Faery magic is nothing compared to the power you can gain from being Queen of Avalon by the Kings side. You will have the entire realm bow to you and fulfill your every whim. And I will be by your side, showing you much more potent powers." she reasoned, 'fixing' her daughters dress so the neck line hung on the edges of her shoulders.

Every fiber in her being screamed no to her mother's plan. She had been promised to be taught about her magical inheritance for the last few years; especially recently when she had started to exhibit much more obvious magical abilities. And she actually found herself missing the self absorbed Prince of the Faery Lands. "Mother, I do not want to be Queen of Camelot! I don't care about ruling or your dark magic! I would rather be with my father's Faery kin and learn their magic! They are a part of me as they are a part of my father, whom I cherish and love far more than anything else in this world!"

Dark purple eyes flashing, Morrigan grabbed her daughters arm in a hard grip. "Now you see here, you ungrateful wench. Lord LaFey may be your father, but he is MY husband and as far as I am concerned, you have no claims on him!" She did not like the defiant look on Danu's face and it fueled her ever present temper. She needed a way to take that from Danu and get her on the path she wanted her to be on. Her eyes lit up with an idea. With a violent push, Morrigan sent Danu onto her rump in a mess of fabric. "My dear daughter," she began in a dangerous tone, "Love is weakness, so it will be used against you. _As you love, so won't it come back; always unrequited. As you are loved, my daughter, so won't it be in your heart. Forever alone, even True love can't cure this curse. Unless a child from the Kings loins come, shall this_ be." she intoned in an ominous voice. Dark red smoke seemed to descend on the girl, completely obscuring her for a moment before dissipating.

Danu cringed away from the smoke but looked around after the smoke disappeared. She didn't feel any different and looked up at her mother.

From the door of the dressing room, came a timid knock before Lord Wyette came into the room. "What's going on, my loves? Are we not yet ready?" then he saw the looks of the two women.

Danu turned to her father with a smile, expecting to feel the rush of daughterly love and happiness that always accompanied his presence. But it didn't come. She felt nothing; it was as if he wasn't even there, as if he didn't matter. Danu blinked with confusion. With the loss came a sudden grief; she had lost a part of herself, something that would never be whole again. She snapped her head back to her mother with an incredulous look. "What have you done, mother?" she asked, her voice rising in her sudden anger.

Morrigan looked down at her daughter, now calm and collected. "I am making sure you become Arthurs Queen. It's what's best for you and our family."

~. ~. ~.

_The Labyrinth_

Jereth let Danu go and back up a few paces. He could't believe what Danu was telling him. For a mother to curse her own daughter so she would not be able to love? And for what? Jealousy? Power and gold? "That woman! I should have begged father to fetch you and your father both from that scheming malicious hag!" He turned from her, fuming. "This curse drove you to Camelot, didn't it? It is why you didn't come to me?" He went up to her once more, his demeanor much friendlier, though still angry. This time the anger was directed outwards, towards a foe unseen. "The Circle of Ladies could have helped." He told her, and then his face darkened. "And rid you of her foul darkness once and for all."

Danu shifted away from him, her face was flushed in the telling and she was trying to keep her composure. She turned towards the tree, clutching one of the branches. That part was not the hardest of the memory. No, there was something much darker that had happened. "I'm not done…" she confessed.

~. ~. ~.

_Avalon_

At first Danu could only look at her mother while she tried to control the growing rage inside her. Breathing heavily, Danu struggled onto her feet. Choking back a sob, she dashed out and fled into the lower levels of the castle. She kept going and in her despair, went blindly deeper and deeper into the castle's catacombs and beyond. Deeper and deeper, soon the manicured indoor plants and straight edged stone became wild and ragged.

There was an old wood door, which Danu, unthinking, pushed through all enchantments and locks instantly and opened. As she came back from the blackness of her thoughts, she found herself in a small dark room with a small green enchanted fire lighting it. It was a hidden chamber and it held many shelves filled with trinkets, potions and boxes. There were also crates, desks and chests. As she looked around, it looked like it hadn't been visited in years, for there was a thick coating of dust on everything; everything except a polished obsidian box on the desk. It looked like a cherished object and was obviously cared for. Curiosity peeked; Danu took the box and left the room for another hiding place she was sure her mother didn't know about. It was near the catacombs that over looked the cliffs; it was a place one had to crawl to and get dirty; where even her mother's faithful servants hesitated to go to fetch her. The entrance was carefully hidden with hazelnut bushes. There she broke the small lock, opened the box and looked inside.

There, in the box, was a small black polished dagger, even the blade was black and looked like it was made out of chipped black stone. It was inscribed in the same shimmery mineral as her mother's runes, and word emblazoned was her mother's _real_ name: Dwana. Danu recognized it as she'd heard her father call her mother that a few times when they thought no one was around. Often people called her Morrigan, or _The_ Morrigan which often confused Danu. She could feel the dark power surrounding the blade and wondered if her mother or her mother's power was attuned to the blade.

Then she thought about what her mother had just done to her and became angry again. She could feel her wild faery nature bristle and seethe. Danu decided to act; she was tired of her mother bullying her around and treating her like she was a tool to be used. Her love for her father had been held very precious, as she felt that her mother had no love for her and never spent time with her unless it was to further her own goals. And now Danu felt a dull achy hole where her love had been, and no matter how she looked, she could not find it.

Danu took the dagger and hid it in the folds of her dress.

She found her way back up from the caverns of the lower levels and searched for her mother back in the dressing room, and when she was not there Danu kept looking until she found both her mother and father have a 'discussion' in the dining room.

At her abrupt entrance, her parents looked over in her direction. "Oh, there you are." Her mother started with a dismissive air, noting and choosing to ignore the dirt and general unruly appearance of her daughter. "Now that your back we can discuss what is to be done when we get to our destination."

Danu shook her head. "No. No, I won't go. I won't let you take me to Camelot. And I demand to have this curse removed!" she raised her voice and looked her mother straight on. She crossed the large room with the long mahogany dining table towards her mother. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her resolve was set.

Morrigan blinked; then smiled widely. "No. Not until you have married _King_ _Arthur_ and are breeding to seal the deal." she said bluntly and ignored the strangled sound that came from her husband. Better to disillusion him right now about his silly deal with the Goblin King than let him continue thinking she had put her plans to rest.

Her ire rising once more, Danu pulled out the dagger she found and pointed it towards her mother's heart. She willed the hand holding it not to shake.

After looking at the small dagger in surprise, Morrigan gathered herself once more and steeled herself. "And what exactly are you doing with that? You think you can force me to your bidding because you hold a silly little dagger?"

"Lift the curse." Danu persisted, accentuating her words by moving closer, now barely a foot away, with the dagger still pointed at her mother.

"No." Morrigan said, surprising Danu. Morrigan smiled. Her dear daughter did not have what it took to control, or kill, her own mother, especially someone as powerful as the Morrigan. The only rival she had was that Merlin wizard who was favored by royalty because he could do some silly parlor tricks. "Now put down the blade, little girl. You don't have the courage to hurt me. You will put that down, sit your ass in the waiting carriage and do what I tell you, or so help me, I will bind you so tightly you won't be able to take a breath without me telling you to." she commanded, moving closer, now inches away from the point of the dagger.

For a moment, Danu could feel her resolve wavering as fear crept into her breast and the blade dropped infinitesimally. What did it was the victorious look that came upon her mother's face a moment later; making her mother look cruel. In one deft movement, and using all her anger and might, Danu plunged the dagger to the hilt in The Morrigan's chest. Her mother grunted in surprise, her eyes wide and black as night as she looked between the sight of the hilt and her daughters lighter purple eyes.

All at once the anger inside was gone, leaving only horror as Danu looked upon her mother's face. The hand on the hilt wouldn't let go, so she had to use her other hand to slowly ease her mother to the floor. "Oh, mother... I'm sorry." she whispered.

But as Morrigan was lowered, a soft laugh escaped her, finishing as a guttural cough. She placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Finally," she said, her voice faint as her life force slowly left her. "You have done something to make me proud." her hand fell back onto her chest and her eyes saw no more. Her breathing stilled and she was gone. The runes that decorated the edges of her face and along the planes of her body faded and seemed to crawl towards the dagger and then over Danu's hand and over her own skin.

With a frightened gasp, Danu yanked the dagger from her mother's body and threw it away. But the runes seemed to continue up her arm and through the rest of her body, marking her as The Morrigan. She could feel the power course into her and settle into the hollow parts of her being.

Getting over the shock first, Wyette went over to the blade and picked up. With grief in his chest, he looked it over. He knew this dagger; it was among his wife's most precious possessions. It had been inscribed with her name on it... but now it held Danu's. Morrigan always told him that his daughter would follow her orders and her footsteps. He hadn't believed her; and he had thought she spoke of advancing up the noble ladder. But now, he thought perhaps his wife had hoped that if her power must go to someone, she would want her daughter to take it -a child of faery and dark magic.

An odd calm seemed to settle over him; there was nothing else he could do for Danu. She would now have to find her own path. He cleaned the knife and went up to his daughter. When she looked up at him with tears threatening to overthrow, he held out the dagger; seeing when she noticed her name on it before taking it in her hand. "You have her power now, child. You are now The Morrigan. This power... the Faeries know nothing of it... they won't be able to prepare you for it. But I know of a wizard who can teach you your inherited powers and your dark ones. You need to go to him before either consumes you." He took her other hand and they went to Danu's room and packed her things. Through it all Danu was silent and looked at her hands in horror even when they were completely clean.

While he prepared to bury his dead wife, Lord Wyette sent his daughter to the forest at the outskirts of the city of Camelot, where the wizard Merlin lived in a cottage. He sent word ahead so that he would be expecting her. Merlin wouldn't dare turn away the opportunity to teach and mentor the new Morrigan, especially in such a fragile state.

And there he was, waiting for her on his porch as the carriage came to a stop. She didn't bring much, even had a scanty amount of clothing which consisted of work cloths, forest cloths and a few gowns for when he brought her to court, so there wasn't much for Danu to carry. Just like her mother taught her to do, Danu curtsied deeply but without much emotion.

Merlin just grunted. "come." he bade and they entered the cottage.

When she entered, she found that he already had a student there who was learning about magic as a scholarly pursuit. It was a young man several years older than Danu and currently garbed in forest suited clothing while writing on parchment. When he looked up, the hollow space inside seemed to disappear within Danu.

With another grunt, Merlin gestured to Danu. "This is Danuela, she will be staying with me as my apprentice. Danuela LaFey, this is Arthur, future King of Avalon, and of the round table."


End file.
